Harry Potter: Where Trust Lies
by truleigh
Summary: Begins where HBP ended. Harry leaves Hogwarts in order to take control of his destiny. It's not long before he realizes that he is not in control: Someone has attacked the Dursleys, Weasleys seem to be missing, and he begins dreaming of a friend's death
1. Old Ties

-- CHAPTER ONE --

_Old Ties_

It was sunny and bright as Harry got off the train at Godric's Hollow. The small town was bustling with activity as shoppers hurried from store to store. As in all Muggle towns, there were none of the typical signs of the magical world. Instead, mothers were shuffling from store to store with their children in tow. Teenagers, who had just gotten out of school for the summer holidays, were grouped outside various shops eating ice cream cones and sweets. Harry wondered if he could ever blend into the Muggle world. As a wizard, Harry felt even less in common with Muggles than before attending Hogwarts. His first ten years with the Dursleys were awful and once learning that he was a wizard, summers that he spent with his aunt, uncle and cousin had become unbearable. The Dursley's were ashamed of his magical abilities and forbid him to let other people know his unusual talents. Harry looked around at the people walking through the streets. They were huddled in small groups laughing and gossiping. Harry understood why ignorance was bliss.

The town that he had imagined Godric's Hollow to be was not sunny and bright with happy mothers and children. He had imagined it as drab and dark place. Much like his own memories of the town's significance to he and his family. This is where his parents had died but this is also where he had survived. Harry knew this is where he and Lord Voldemort's legacy began, so this is where he would have to start. He had taken his time travelling to the town. It wasn't so much the fear of the place and the memories of his parents that he wanted to avoid, but he felt now more than ever that he didn't want to think about his past. He would love nothing more than to just leave everything he knew behind and travel to where no one would recognize him. The scar that had made him unique was now just another painful memory that things would never be the same while he and Lord Voldemort lived together in the wizarding world.

Unnoticed by most people, Harry continued to walk through the small town until the busy road had become no more than a dirt path with few cars. If his parents hadn't died when they did, Godric's Hollow would have been a nice place to grow up. So much could have been different. On the top of the next hill, Harry could see a small church surrounded by a cemetery. Instead of following the road until it met the entrance to the church, Harry cut through a grassy field that would be a more direct path. He could hear the swish of the long grass as he made his way through the field. By the time that Harry had made it to the top of the hill, he was breathing hard. The shortcut had seemed like a better idea when he was still on the road. He had misjudged the steepness of hill. The graveyard was small and surrounded by a black iron fence that was less of a barrier to the outside world than a marker of where the cemetery ended and the town began. Still the grass within the fence was cut and most of the tombstones were garnished with flowers.

Slowly walking between the graves, he noticed that some were more than a century old. Cutting his way across to the other side of the cemetery, Harry carefully made his way between the tombstones noting whenever he saw newer ones. Dropping to his knees, he removed the leaves and dead grass from a grave. Lucy Pelissier. Born in 1954, died in 1978…he was getting closer. It looked as if her family had forgotten about her grave. Harry continued to clear the leaves from around the stone while looking for something to place in remembrance. He had never known this girl but it seemed important to remember her. Looking over her small grave he saw it. Just as unkempt as Lucy's was a larger gravestone of unfinished marble. Harry read the engraved on the stone.

_In Loving Memory of Lillian and James Potter, _

_an inspiration to all who knew them_

Getting up and brushing the dirt from his jeans, Harry casually walked up to the grave. Standing in front of the tombstone he stared at it without moving. He just read the inscription over and over again in his mind. Finally, without really knowing what to do he spoke out loud.

"I don't remember anything from when we lived here, but I think that I feel the closest now that I have ever really been to knowing my parents. From everything that has happened in the years that I have attended Hogwarts, I feel like I get closer and closer to really understanding. Lupin says that I have a lot in common with both of you." He smiles at this thought. "I think he's probably right. But how much does that matter now? Voldemort has taken everyone that matters to me. He took you both before I even had a chance to know you and then Sirius before we had a chance to really get to know each other either. And now he has killed Dumbledore, the only real family that I ever knew. I don't know how am going to do this without him. Why does it have to be me? Lord Voldemort will pay. He will pay with his life. I have nothing to lose. He has taken everything." With rage collecting in his throat and tears in his eyes he gripped the locket still resting in his pocket. He and Dumbledore had taken it from a cave Voldemort had used to hide a part of his soul. It had been the horcrux that they were looking for that cost Dumbledore his life. Swallowing hard, Harry wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, pocketed the note that had been hidden inside the locket and placed it on his parents' grave.

"I will find the five remaining horcruxes and destroy the thing that has taken everything from me."


	2. An Unexpected Visitor

-- CHAPTER TWO --

_The Unexpected Visitor_

Making sure that no one would be able to ignore him, Harry marched into his aunt and uncle's house and slammed the front door with a loud thud. Even though he hadn't been back for nearly a year, the house looked just the same as it did when he had left for Hogwarts with Dumbledore the previous summer. Everything he could see was spotless. It was evident that Aunt Petunia had spent hours upon hours polishing every surface until it sparkled. Just as he was about to stomp up the stairs toward his bedroom, his aunt poked her head out of the kitchen and sneered at Harry. She was holding a tray with a ham and cheese sandwich that made his stomach growl. Harry was sure that his cousin must have heard his stomach too because at that exact instant, Dudley got up from his place in front of the television, almost knocking him to the ground as he grabbed the sandwich from his mother. Affectionately patting her son on the head as he hurried back to the television, she smiled and whispered a few words of praise just loud enough for her nephew to hear. As her eyes met with Harry's, her smile disappeared and was quickly replaced with another frown.

"Vernon, our ungrateful nephew has decided to grace us with his presence," Aunt Petunia sarcastically shouted to her husband.

Harry could hear Uncle Vernon's voice booming from the living room and quickly decided that he wasn't going to wait to hear what his uncle was going to yell at him for this time. As Harry marched up the stairs as loudly as he could, he could hear Uncle Vernon's voice saying, "Get back here you vile boy. You have a lot to answer to."

With a determined smirk on his face, Harry stomped into his room slamming his bedroom door behind him. He had never felt as powerful in their house as he did at this very moment. He didn't even care what Uncle Vernon had thought when he didn't show up at the train station with the rest of the Hogwarts students. Smiling, Harry could imagine the look on Uncle Vernon's face when Ron and Hermione got off the train without him and dropped off his trunks in front of the Dursleys. Before sneaking out of Hogwarts with the aid of some floo-powder, he had left Ron a note asking if he and Hermione would take care of his belongings and make sure that they got to Little Whinging safely. He came back to the Dursley house to gather his belongings and move out.

He didn't know where he would go but the last thing that he wanted to do was stay with the Dursleys one minute longer than he had to. Dumbledore had wanted him to return for the summer so Harry felt that in order to honour his Headmaster's memory he would make this compromise. He would return and face his aunt and uncle, but stay only long enough to collect his trunks and say goodbye. Harry tried to block out the commotion he could hear coming up the stairs toward his room. His uncle was yelling with his sarcastic wife closely behind. The only person that he couldn't hear was Dudley. He assumed that this was only because his mouth was full of the sandwich that Aunt Petunia had been making for him when Harry had burst into their home.

"Don't you dare shut the door on us, boy," Uncle Vernon roared. "How dare you send your trunks home on the train and not be there to carry them back to our house. Poor Dudley had to carry your owl home and that aggressive bird tried to attack him."

Harry grabbed his trunk with one hand and Hedwig's cage with the other. He then opened his bedroom door with a kind of wild fury that even caught the attention of Dudley, who was still stuffing his face with the sandwich as well as some beer nuts. Harry had been prepared for his aunt and uncle to yell at him for not returning to their home, but the sting of hearing that Dudley had been anywhere near his beloved Hedwig was more than Harry could handle.

"Hedwig should have attacked Dudley. It would have served him right. But then again Dudley is too much of a coward to open the cage in the first place, so I find it highly doubtful that Hedwig would have had the chance to do what I have been wishing to for years." The rage in Harry was rising so much that he could feel the walls around him start to vibrate. "And for your information, I will no longer being staying here."

"What? Where do you plan on going?" His uncle asked with a snide laugh. "Don't for a second believe that your little wizard friends are going to let you stay with them. Once they find out what a little terror you are, they will throw you out of their house like we should have done years ago. If it wasn't for us-"

"If it wasn't for you," Harry interrupted, "I might get a decent chance at having a real family. Someone that actually cares about me." He was so angry that he thought his head would explode. Harry grabbed his wand from his pocket and pointed it at his uncle.

"Let me pass!"

"Boy, don't think for a minute that you can bully usཀ" Roared Uncle Vernon.

Just as Harry was about to put the Stupefy charm on his uncle, the room began to grow cold. Even Hedwig's cage seemed to freeze in Harry's hand. Uncle Vernon was about to continue fuming at Harry, but became speechless when he saw his nephew's breath go white. Harry noticed the same from Uncle Vernon and spun on his heels pointing his wand in front of him as he looked around. Facing his uncle again, Harry saw a Dementor gliding up the stairs behind Aunt Petunia and Dudley. Three others followed behind it. Harry pushed his uncle out of the way, pointing his wand at the Dementors. Screaming in fear, Aunt Petunia tried to push her son away from Harry's wand. Not realizing that he was the only one able to see the Dementors in the house, Harry was unprepared when Uncle Vernon threw himself on top of him, knocking him back into his bedroom. In all the commotion, Harry felt his wand knock itself from his hand as he fell onto the floor.

Pounding his fists as hard as he could against his uncle without much success, Harry tried to get up and find his wand. He had seen it go under his bed. It wasn't until they both heard Aunt Petunia screaming loudly that Uncle Vernon loosened his grip on him. Scrambling to his feet, Harry tried to get to his wand but it was no use. Two Dementors were now hovering between him and where he had seen it go under his bed. Harry tried to run. To do anything that might stop the Dementors, but Uncle Vernon was still between him and the door. He hid in the corner of his room as far away from the Dementors as he could. Before Harry could think of his next move he felt the icy coldness cut through him like a knife and the piercing scream of his mother in his ears. Hearing his own screams echo his mother's, he could feel his body give way and crumple onto the floor. This was it. He would die. Everyone at Number Four Privet Drive would die at the hands of the Dementors.


	3. Dursley Demented

-- CHAPTER THREE --

_Dursley Demented_

Harry tried to open his eyes as he fought off the numbing fog that seemed to cloud his head. It felt as if someone had filled the space between his ears with sand and every time he moved the sand moved with it. Lying on the floor of his bedroom, he tried to focus his eyes on the room around him. The house now looked much different than when he and Uncle Vernon had been at the peek of their power-struggle. Even though Harry could sense that it was the middle of the day, everything around him was dark. The only light in the room filtered through the heavy curtains that were draped over the windows. The bulb in his lamp had been smashed and small bits of glass shimmered as it littered the floor around his desk. From the darkness around him, Harry guessed that the Dementors had caused every light bulb in the house to be smashed as well. Harry wasn't sure if it was the darkness or that his head was still spinning, but everything around him seemed to be a little different. He couldn't put his finger on it, but the house seemed to have gained an eerie feeling that made Harry uncomfortable.

"Have some chocolate, Harry." A hand came in front of Harry's face and he took the chocolate without question. He was too exhausted to think of anything else.

As the chocolate started to melt against his tongue and his head began to clear, Harry could hear Aunt Petunia's quiet sobbing. Peering through the darkness of the hallway, he saw her leaning against the wall as she sat with Dudley cradled in her arms. Tonks was kneeling next to her trying to make sure that she was okay. Her pink hair was so bright that it seemed to glow in the darkness. Uncle Vernon seemed to take no notice of her as he sat with his arms around his wife. He wasn't looking at her or his son, but seemed to be in a trance. After what seemed like ages, Uncle Vernon's eyes began to focus and he realized that Harry was staring at him. Without any expression on his face, Uncle Vernon stood up and walked over to his nephew. From Harry's position sitting on his bedroom floor, Uncle Vernon looked huge.

"How dare you bring this into our house. Your freakish wizardry is not tolerated here. I don't know how you summoned those creatures, but I will not let you do it to this family again. You have gone too far. You let those things kill my only child. I knew bringing you into this family was going to cause trouble from the moment that we found you left on our front steps. I told Petunia to put you into an orphanage, but she wouldn't do it. She said we had to protect you. We were the ones that needed protection though. We need protection from you. You wanted to leave this house and here's your chance. Get out. I don't ever want to see you again."

"Uncle Vernon, I didn't do it," Harry stammered. "The Dementors, I don't know why they came here."

His feet were unsteady as he walked into the hallway and he felt nothing but numbness and shock at what had just happened. Dudley looked as if he was sleeping against his Mum. Harry could remember his cousin falling asleep in the same position while watching television when they were young. Now much older and with all of his weight leaning against Aunt Petunia's small frame, Harry could see that she was having trouble cradling him. If Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia looked a little closer at their son, they would notice that Dudley wasn't actually dead. It was true that he wasn't moving and his eyes wouldn't focus, but Dudley was alive. Harry had never seen anything like it before, but he knew that the Dementors had given Dudley their kiss. They had sucked the soul from his body. To most muggles, Dudley was dead. He would never be the same again.

As Harry approached the Dursleys, Tonks nodded, stood up from her spot next to Aunt Petunia and followed him down the stairs. For the first time Harry realized that there was someone else in the house. Turning around, Harry saw Professor Lupin struggling to support him as they walked away from his grieving aunt and uncle.

"Where is your wand, Harry?" Lupin asked. "Do you have it with you?" Harry had to think for a moment. In all the commotion he didn't know what he had done with it.

"Uh, I'm not sure. I think it may have rolled under my bed."

Professor Lupin gave Harry a puzzled look and then shot a glance at Tonks who was already returning to Harry's bedroom. She started searching his room and pulled the wand out from under Harry's bed. She then opened Hedwig's cage, who circled around the room once before exiting through a window she had charmed opened for her. Tapping her wand against Harry's trunks and Hedwig's cage, his belongings disappeared. Closing the bedroom door quietly, she gave Harry back his wand before leading them out of the house.

"Thanks," Harry said feeling foolish.

It embarrassed Harry to think that he had panicked and dropped his wand at the sight of the Dementors. After all, Lupin had spent so much of his time teaching him the Patronus charm while he was a professor at Hogwarts. He had even been able use it to save his Godfather, Sirius, from the Dementors in the forest outside the school. It made him feel foolish to have been so fearful at the sight of them now. He couldn't even save his cousin from their kiss. Maybe it actually was his fault. Voldemort would do anything to kill him and would kill anyone that got in his way.

From the front door, Harry could hear Aunt Petunia's crying grow louder. "Oh my poor son," she choked in between sobs. "I can't believe they did this to you. And look at this houseཀ What will the neighbours think?"


	4. Everything Changes

-- CHAPTER FOUR –

_Everything Changes_

It was hard to breathe. Invisible forces pressed on all sides of Harry trying to pull and twist his arm away from Lupin. He quickly tightened his grip on Lupin's arm just as felt his feet touch the ground beneath them. It didn't matter that he had apparated with Dumbledore the year before; the odd feeling associated with it would always remain. Already seventeen but still without his apparating license, Harry couldn't help but feel like a child when Lupin instructed him to take hold of his arm as they left Number Four Privet Drive. Standing next to the wizard he realized with happiness that they had arrived inside the Weasley family's kitchen. Tonks, having disapparated from the Dursley's first, was sitting on Harry's trunks waiting for them. Even though Dumbledore wouldn't approve of them arriving inside the Weasley home like this, Harry felt a sense of happiness and relief to know that he would be spending the remainder of the summer with Ron and his family.

Harry immediately ran toward the stairs to the family's bedrooms calling for his friends as he jogged up the steep staircase.

"Harry, they are not here," Lupin said, but his former student was already taking the stairs two at a time.

The house was oddly quiet. In Ron's large family there were always voices that could be heard no matter where one stood inside the house. Harry also couldn't remember the last time he had seen the kitchen empty. Stopping halfway up the stairs, Lupin's words finally registered with him. Looking back into the kitchen, Lupin's face was calm and void of expression. Harry couldn't tell what Lupin was thinking. There were empty boxes scattered around the kitchen floor. The cupboards were open and empty. The happiness in Harry sunk just as quickly as it had come when he first arrived in the Weasley's home.

Harry looked around in disbelief. He didn't understand why Lupin had taken him here. "Is Ron ok?"

"Ron is fine, but the Burrow is no longer safe for the Weasley's to live. Dumbledore was the only person that Voldemort feared. You see, Harry?" Lupin paused and searched Harry's face for comprehension. "Without Dumbledore, no one in the Order can live safely without protection."

When Harry didn't say anything Tonks added, "We choose to apparate inside the Burrow because right now anywhere is safer than your aunt and uncle's home. We don't know who might be watching the house."

Walking to the door, Lupin motioned for Harry to follow him out. Around the side of the house, Lupin pointed his wand at the gnarled trees and long grass that had become the Weasley's garden. Looking among the vines, Harry could see the distinct shape of a car, most likely one that Mr. Weasley had been given by the Ministry of Magic. "Recindoཀ" Lupin snapped his wand. The roots and branches that had once wrapped themselves around the car immediately began moving away, choosing to entangle the nearby trees and shrubbery instead.

Harry spent most of the trip looking down at miles of farmland from the backseat of Arthur Weasley's car. Being a wizard was rewarding in that it offered more interesting ways to travel than given to the average Muggle. Flying cars rarely had to deal with nuisances such as detours for road repairs or the occasional flood. Instead, they were able to drive over the tops of the trees and buildings. Harry preferred it this way. It allowed him to be a mere observer of the world rather than an active participant in it. While looking out the window, Harry tried to listen in on Lupin and Tonks' conversation. Even though he couldn't make out what the two wizards were saying to each other, Tonks was smiling and laughing with Lupin. Listening to them chat quietly to each other, Harry could escape the thoughts that plagued his mind. He didn't have to think about of what would happen to Dudley or that his Aunt and Uncle never wanted to see him again.

Harry had travelled to London many times with the Weasleys and knew the way well. Even before their car left the ground, he had suspected that they would go to the Order of the Pheonix headquarters. Both Lupin and Tonks were active members in leading the offensive against Voldemort. He hoped that Ron and Hermione would be spending the summer with him at the Order of the Phoenix like they had done in the past. It would be nice to see them again even if they had to spend it within the gloomy walls of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. As the former home of Sirius, the last decedent of the pureblood Black family and member of the Order of the Phoenix, the home had become the headquarters for the organization. When Harry inherited it after Sirius' death, he had allowed the Order to continue using it. He had even used Sirius Black's home as a safe house two summers ago when he had ran into trouble while living with the Dursley's. Just as earlier that day, dementors had cornered Harry and Dudley, but at that time he had been able to cast a patronous charm that saved both of their lives. Looking back out the window, the green squares of farmland had been replaced with homes tightly packed into snake-like rows that curled and twisted. Harry instantly recognized these odd shapes as the streets of London.

In the larger cities, wizards drove along the same roads as Muggles, but just over the top of their cars. As there were so many wizards living or working in London they often had similar congestion problems as the Muggles below. In fact, as Harry watched the Muggle cars travelling underneath them, he noticed that the car he was in often idled at the same intersections as the Muggle cars. Inching further and further toward the centre of London, Harry began to think of the chaos that would ensue if Muggles could see the traffic just over their headsཀ

As Harry stared out the window he quickly became confused at what he saw around him. Number Twelve Grimmauld Place was hidden in a rundown residential

area in London. Looking out the window, Harry saw tall buildings instead of homes. Before he had a chance to interrupt Lupin and Tonks, their car flew upwards until it was facing the top of a large building. Before Harry had time to ask Lupin what was going on, the car drove toward the building passing through it at the exact moment that any Muggle would have expected it to crash. Harry had never been in an over-ground garage before but had heard about them from Mr. Weasley. It was much more efficient for wizards to park their cars in the upper levels of magical buildings because they didn't have to interrupt the Muggles travelling on the street where the entrances to underground garages would be located. It was much easier for wizards to separate their world as much as possible from the Muggle world. Still, it was unnerving to drive full speed into a brick wall without any warning. Then again, Harry had heard many stories from Fred and George about those that drove too slowly at a building and got stuck part way through the wall. As Harry's eyes began to focus in the darkness of the garage, he knew at once where they were. A familiar voice boomed from their car radio.

"Please state the names of each person in your party and your business at the Ministry of Magic today."

"Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, and Harry Potter," Lupin spoke to the radio. "We are going to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, The Order of the Phoenix Headquarters."

"Please affix the badges to your clothing and if you are a visitor to the Ministry today, please first go to the security desk located at the far end of the Atrium to have your wand registered and inspected. Thank you and welcome to the Ministry of Magic." Just as the receptionist had finished, three silver badges with each person's name appeared from the cassette player of their car.

As they got out of their car Harry was shocked at what he had learned in Lupin's thirty-second conversation with the receptionist. How could the headquarters be located at the one place that had consistently worked against Dumbledore once they learned of Voldemort's return? Angrier than he had felt in a long time, Harry quickly tried to catch up with the two wizards so that he could demand an explanation. Neither one paid any attention to Harry, but instead walked even more quickly toward the elevator located at the centre of the garage. It seemed that the nearer they got to the elevator, the faster they seemed to walk. Harry's anger grew from being ignored and he could no longer hide his feelings.

"I don't get it Lupin. Why choose this place? Why here? I had told Dumbledore that the Order could use Sirius'-"

"Harry, we are not going to speak about this here," Lupin turned around long enough to shout his reply at Harry before walking even faster. Harry was stunned. It was the first time that Lupin had ever raised his voice to him. As one of his father's best friends, Lupin had always had a soft spot for Harry. All the way down the elevator to the Atrium the group didn't say a word. As they entered the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, wizards quickly sped past them. Every once in a while there would be a smile or acknowledgement of either Tonks or Lupin by another wizard, but most were busy with their work and paid little attention to them as they walked through the busy department.

The hallway snaked around the various offices in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and Harry noticed less staff the further they walked. Harry had a feeling that he would have trouble finding his way back to the elevator if Lupin or Tonks didn't escort him. As Harry turned another corner, the corridor stopped abruptly at a large wooden door without a department title affixed to it. Unprepared to stop so soon, Harry almost walked into Lupin. Looking at the door, Harry noticed that it had a large brass keyhole but no doorknob. It also looked like the wood was fused to the wall. Lupin placed his wand in the keyhole saying, "Reapse". As he removed his wand the door glowed a faint pulsing white around the edges. As the group continued to watch the door, the pulse got slower as the edges of the door began to glow brighter. Harry quickly realized that this was a truth spell. Hermione had once told him about it while they were studying in the common room at Hogwarts together. The white glow around the door signalled to those on the other side that Lupin was allowed admittance. Quickly there after, Harry saw Mrs. Weasley's head poke out from around the open door. Her look of worry quickly turned into a smile as she saw the three wizards.

"Come in, Come in," she said.


	5. Order Rearranged

-- CHAPTER FIVE --

_Order Rearranged_

Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry inside the Ministry of Magic's residential suite and hugged him so hard that the sensation he felt while apparating washed over him again. Putting a fake smile on his face, he wrapped his arms around her and mumbled a few words of greeting. He may have been angry at Lupin for not answering his questions and ignoring him as if he were a child, but Mrs. Weasley made it impossible for him to transfer this anger to her. When she finally let go of him, she greeted Tonks and Lupin demanding their coats and pushed the group into a large dining room.

"Please sit. I will heat up some dinner. You all must be hungry." Mrs. Weasley didn't even wait for them to answer, but hurried into the adjoining kitchen and started moving large platters from one table to another.

Harry took a seat across from Lupin and Tonks at the end of a long wooden table. Neither person spoke to Harry but Tonks kept sneaking glances at him and smiling if their eyes met. Harry was determined not to acknowledge her attempts to cheer him up. He was much more satisfied stewing in the hatred that he felt for Lupin. Trying not to look at Tonks, Harry put all his concentration into glaring at Lupin who would not return any of his glances.

"So sorry about this mess." Mrs. Weasley had returned to the room and was hurrying around them clearing the table of papers and various objects. "It's just that unpacking is such a lengthy process. This suite is much larger than our other home, but I still can't find a place to put everything."

Harry noticed the hesitation in Mrs. Weasley's voice when she mentioned the Burrow. Even though their new home was larger and more modern, it just didn't have the warmth that the other place had. Still, Mrs. Weasley must have enjoyed the extra space that the suite gave her and her family. The kitchen was much larger than the one at the Burrow and she moved around the spacious room gathering plates and platters with ease. Even the dining room was large and was separated from the kitchen by a long wall of fogged glass. When Harry had walked into the suite, he immediately noticed that it seemed to defy the size of the building. Their home could have easily taken a quarter of the Ministry of Magic but the door leading into the suite was located at the end of a long hall and close to the outer wall of the building. It seemed now that Ron's family were living in a larger home, Mrs. Weasley had taken it upon herself to be even more diligent in her duties as host to Harry, Lupin and Tonks. On her third trip from the kitchen, she was still placing more food on the table for them.

"Molly, there is quite enough here already. Please come and sit with us." Lupin gestured toward a empty chair next to Harry. "Oh, and where is Arthur tonight?"

"He had to work late." Mrs. Weasley said with a look of disappointment on her face. "There are so many reports coming into the Ministry of over-zealous dark wizards reeking havoc in Muggle towns now that he-who-must-not-be-named has returned. Arthur has been putting in such long hours to keep up with all the paperwork. Now that we are living within the Ministry, poor Arthur feels guilty if he doesn't work every chance he gets."

Mrs. Weasley took a seat next to Harry grabbing a roll from a basket for herself then offering the basket to the others. Harry took a roll but continued to scowl at the large slice of roast beef that Mrs. Weasley had put onto his plate. He was sure that she had noticed how quiet he was and just chose not to press him about it. Taking another mouthful of roast beef, he realized just how much he enjoyed Mrs. Weasley's cooking. He had forgotten how good a home cooked meal was. He hadn't realized it earlier, but he was also quite hungry.

"Harry," said Lupin quietly, "we should talk about what just happened."

"There is nothing to talk about." Harry said matter of factly, "Now that Dumbledore has died you are letting the Ministry take the credit for everything that he has accomplished." Harry could feel the tears come to his eyes as he stared at his food. "I understand everything perfectly."

"I don't think you see the full picture, Harry." Lupin said. "The Order of the Pheonix is working with the Ministry of Magic. With Dumbledore's death, we had a serious weakness in resources that only the Ministry could provide. The situation has become desperate enough that we are forced to ally ourselves with the Ministry of Magic to defeat Voldemort. We also need their protection for the Order to continue. You have to remember that Dumbledore was the only person that Voldemort feared. Since his death, Voldemort has been going around causing destruction and gaining support by feeding into the hatred of others. Now that we know Snape has been spending years as Voldemort's eyes and ears at Hogwarts, he knows too much information about the Order and its members. Without the Ministry of Magic's protection, Voldemort can easily pick us off one by one." Lupin was no longer staring at the table but looking at Harry with an intensity that he had rarely seen. Even Mrs. Weasley and Tonks didn't look inclined to interrupt Lupin. "Please don't return to your Aunt and Uncle's home in Little Whinging. At least wait until Voldemort is no longer powerful. It's not safe there for you anymore."

Harry didn't know what to say. With everything that was going on and the fear that Voldemort was obviously holding over the members of the Order of the Phoenix, he couldn't imagine why Lupin would be thinking of the Dursleys.

"I don't think that will be too much of a problem. You heard my Uncle. They don't want me back." Harry said defiantly. Mrs. Weasley looked at Harry with a mix of shock and sympathy. Harry didn't want to be the one to tell her of the morning's events and therefore didn't dare meet her eyes.

"Just don't go back there Harry. Lupin repeated. After Dumbledore's death we had decided that it would be best for you to stay with Molly and Arthur for the time being. It is my fear that someone was watching your Aunt and Uncle's home who unleashed the Dementors precisely when you got there. You have to understand that the circumstances of your safety changed greatly after Dumbledore's death. The magical protection that Dumbledore placed on the Dursley home was removed when he died. I know that you didn't realize what was happening at the time but the Dementor attack on Dudley was as much of a sign to you as to the Order."

"A sign? But that doesn't make any sense. It was supposed to be me. I couldn't help him. I couldn't…" Harry stammered.

"Harry, listen to me." Lupin said a little louder. "Tonks and I saw everything that happened. The Dementors did not come for you like they did that day we met on the train. I have never seen anything like it. You fainted from the side effects of watching your Uncle Vernon be attacked and almost be kissed by a Dementor. I think that they were instructed to kiss the Dursleys but leave you unharmed. Their fate would have been much worse if Tonks and I hadn't been there to produce a protronous strong enough to repel them. The ministry has never had that kind power over the Dementors. They seem to follow the direction of evil much more enthusiastically than that of good."


	6. Sinking Spinning

-- CHAPTER SIX --

_Sinking Spinning_

Shaking hands with Montague, the Captain of the Slytherin quidditch team, Harry kicked off the ground and rose into the air a few feet before circling the pitch on his firebolt. As he rose high above his teammates, he looked around hoping to see the snitch early in the game. It was near dusk and the sun was distracting for Harry. Below him he could see Ginny taking the Quaffle from Montague, shoving him hard as she did so.

"Oh and that's Ginny Weasley with the Quaffle now. I must say that she is really nice. A very good friend." Harry knew the dreamy voice commentating over the speakers. The hypnotizing sound of Luna Lovegood continued. "She was dating one of my best friends. Our boy Harry is a little slow when it comes to relationships, but I'm sure that he will figure out what a catch she is before she finds someone more strapping than Sir Potter."

Harry almost flew his broom into a pole while listening to Luna's commentary. He looked over at the commentator's podium and saw Headmaster McGonagall putting her hand over the microphone and speaking with Luna rather quickly. Harry guessed that McGonagall had noticed that Luna's commentary had quickly started to focus on what was happening off the pitch rather than what was currently happening on it.

"…but now the Slytherin Captain has gotten the Quaffle back from my friend Ginny. Oh and did he knock her hard. I am sure that she will retaliate after the game. That girl has quite the punch. Oh, I have just received the evil eye from our new Headmistress. I guess she doesn't approve of my casual-styled commentary. I do have a personal relationship with number of the players on the Gryffindor team you know…."

The sun had begun to fall from the sky. He was hoping to find the Snitch as soon as he could and end the game before it got much darker. Without the sun reflecting off the Snitch, it would be hard for Harry to find it. As the Slytherin team was already up on Gryffindor 70-40, Harry needed to get the snitch before the other team's seeker in order to keep them from winning. Looking down at the pitch he saw Malfoy, the Slytherin Seeker flying towards him. Searching for the Snitch in the space in front of Malfoy, he caught a glimpse of sun reflecting off of it before it took off in another direction. If he could just make it to the Snitch before Malfoy, he might have a chance at winning the game.

Leaning low on his broom, Harry sped forward as fast as he could, trying to get in front of Malfoy who was quickly gaining on the Snitch. Not wanting to give Malfoy any room to manoeuvre his broom around him, Harry rode into his rival knocking him hard in the back. Fighting to reach the Snitch first, Malfoy glared at Harry and pushed him closer to the posts of the viewing boxes. They were both dangerously close to the spectators. Flying just over their heads, Harry fought for as much room as he could from Malfoy. The snitch was so close. It was directly in front of them. Harry leaned forward on his broom trying to reach for it. Malfoy did the same thing. Harry grabbed Malfoy's arm hoping to prevent him from closing in on the Snitch but it was too late. Malfoy's hand closed around the little golden ball.

A sense of disappointment filled Harry. He knew it would be a quiet night in the Gryffindor common room when he got back. After the team won a match everyone would celebrate together in the common room. Tonight there would only be the occasional "good job" muttered from other students in his house and the common room would most likely be empty by the time that he returned. Harry could hear the cheers of the Slytherin's below. Looking down from his broom he could see the Gryffindors already beginning to leave the stands. Being knocked hard in the back, Harry flew around to see who was behind him.

"Did you seriously think that you would be able to stop me, Potter?" It was Draco Malfoy grinning at Harry as his broom hovered beside him.

"Don't you want to be with the other Slytherins right now? You know, getting congratulated on your great catch." Now it was Harry who returned Malfoy's snide smile.

"Nah, I didn't want you to miss this." Malfoy spun his broom around so quickly that Harry didn't have time to react. Malfoy's broom hit him hard in the ribs knocking him off. Spinning as the ground came closer, Harry felt as if he were falling in slow motion. Looking over at the stands, the Gryffindor section was almost empty now. The professors had also risen from their seats and were about to leave the pitch. He could hear the Slytherins cheering from their section even though none of the professors paid any attention to them. Other than the Slytherins, Luna Lovegood was the only other person that seemed to notice him falling. She had a look of terror on her face. She was frozen in her spot with her hand over her mouth. It didn't look as if she would be able to help him either. It seemed as if no one was going stop him from crashing to the ground.

Looking at the quidditch pitch below, about a dozen students were gathering. He yelled hoping that they would notice him falling and cast a charm to slow him down. Peering below him in order to make out the faces in the crowd, his stomach lurched as he realized that the black robes he could see where actually the black cloaks of Voldemort's Death Eaters. They were forming a circle around two other figures in black. One of them looked up at Harry. He tried to yell but he couldn't find the words. Looking up at him he saw Hermione dressed in her school robes and looking even more terrified than Luna had been in commentator podium. Harry instantly realized who the other student was. His short red hair was unmistakable. Harry was very close to falling on them when one Death Eater pointed his wand at his two friends.

"Don't call me cowardཀ" Harry could here this unmistakable voice ringing in his head.

"NOOOOOཀ" Harry had finally found his voice but it was too late. Green light flashed from the Death Eater's wand at his friends. Watching Hermione and Ron collapse onto the ground, Harry saw the Death Eaters leave the quidditch pitch. Only the one that had performed the Avada Kedavra curse remained. Standing over his two friends he lowered the hood of his cloak revealing a mop of greasy black hair that Harry instantly recognized to be Snape.


	7. A Sticky Situation

-- CHAPTER SEVEN --

_A Sticky Situation_

The scar on Harry's forehead seared with pain. It happened so quickly and was so intense that it caused Harry to sit up in his bed and put his hand over his scar as if he could somehow smooth its fiery sting. He must have yelled in his sleep because Ron was standing over him yawning. As he sat there staring at Ron, all the memories of his dream came crashing over him. He thought that he might throw up. It was impossible for him to look natural when Ron was staring back with a worried expression on his face. Harry hoped that he hadn't been talking in his sleep. Did Ron already know his dream?

"It was Voldemort, wasn't it?" Ron asked uneasily. "I should get Lupin."

"No, No. Don't do that. I don't want to worry him. It really wasn't anything important. Ever since school ended I've been having weird dreams. I just have to learn to ignore them like Dumbledore said." Harry tried to give Ron a reassuring smile but his mind was still distracted. What did his dream mean?

"Budge up and let me sitཀ" Ron laughed trying to push Harry with his foot. Harry moved over to the far side of his bed. "Well at least tell me what you were dreaming about. Your face was really screwed up this time."

"Umm. Well, it was mostly flashes of stuff. I can't remember anyone or any place in particular. I think it is just the stress of Dumbledore dying." Harry was surprised how this lie just seemed to slip out of his mouth. Ron seemed to be satisfied with his response. Harry was glad even though it ashamed him. He really hadn't meant to use Dumbledore's death as an excuse. At the same time he really didn't want to be pressed about his dream before he had time to work it out for himself. Hoping to change the subject Harry asked, "So how long have you been living in the Ministry?"

"Oh, you like our new flat?" Ron said with a laughed. "It's only until the Order can find a more suitable place for us to live. I don't really mind if they have a hard timeཀ Have you seen how many bedrooms this place has? There is one for Mum and Dad plus every child although it's only Ginny and I still living here. Mum has refused to unpack the other bedrooms. She says that we will be back at the Burrow before long and that it would be a waste to set up everyone's room when they won't be here to use them.

"She must know that the Order of the Phoenix are gaining the upper hand." Harry suggested encouragingly even though he really didn't believe it.

"Mum was worried about being at home alone since Dad is working such long hours at the Ministry of Magic. I told her that I could defend her with my mighty wizardry skills. Fred and George even offered her some of their intruder detector paint. They have been selling out of the stuff since we returned from school. It is a useful joke to play on nosy siblings. Daphne Greengrass coated her door with it and then forgot she did it. The twit got her hand stuck to the doorknob and then freaked out when she realized what she did. She tried to pull herself free, but instead managed to get her hair stuck to the door as well. Kids are buying this stuff as if the twins have invented something that will change the course of history. The funniest thing about their intruder detector paint is that it is nothing more than a tube of super-glue Dad bought in a Muggle convenience store that the twins put a replicating spell on. Mum said that they are conning the same people that they went to school with and she won't have anything to do with it." Ron let out a quick laugh and pulled a few bottles of intruder paint from his pocket. "I say that we switch this stuff up with Hermione's Sleekeazy's Hair Potionཀ"

"And maybe I will jinx your hair to fall out while you sleepཀ" Hermione was standing in the doorway of their bedroom with a grin on her face despite hearing Ron's comment about her. "While I am at it, I should jinx you too, Harryཀ Sneaking out of Hogwarts without telling anyone. There are Death Eaters roaming the streets that would love to get your hands on you so that they can get back into Voldemort's good books."

"Blimey Hermione. Don't you see us bonding here? Harry let out a chuckle as Hermione gave Ron a look that said she wasn't going to be easily fooled by him.

"So where did you go after you left Hogwarts?" Ron asked. Harry could tell that Ron was hoping he had an adventure to share with them. Harry knew that his story wouldn't disappoint him.

Harry explained that he visited Godric's Hollow and saw his parent's grave. There really wasn't too much to say. The town was small and untainted from the fast paced life of the larger towns in England. Harry only paused for a second to collect his thoughts before he began to retell his experience with the Dementors in his aunt and uncle's house on Privet Drive. As he recounted the Dementor attack and Dudley's unfortunate fate, both Ron and Hermione looked at him with faces of shock that quickly turned to horror. Harry could tell that they hadn't imagined things would get out of hand so quickly.

"That's mental. I can't believe it." Ron was shaking his head. "The Dementors are going after Muggles now. It's a good thing that you were at the Dursley's place when they came."

"Well, it was really Lupin and Tonks that drove the Dementors from the house. I lost my wand in all the commotion," Harry told his friends sheepishly. "Lupin doesn't think that it was a random attack. He says that the Dementor attack was Voldemort's way of sending a message to me and the Order."

"What kind of message would that send?" Ron looked dumbfounded.

"I don't know. Its been troubling me since it happened." Harry was staring at his bed sheets, which he rolled and unrolled around his finger.

"It's simple," said Hermione. "Voldemort is saying that his quest to kill you has become even more personal.

"In what respect?" Ron asked with a hint of sarcasm.

Ignoring Ron's comment Hermione added, "Voldemort is no longer out to only kill you and fulfill the prophecy. He wants to torture you first by hurting those that you care about."

"Well now that's quite a lot of respectཀ" said Ron.


	8. Extendable Ears

-- CHAPTER EIGHT --

_Extendable Ears_

Ron pulled a handful of crumpled clothes from a box and tossed it into a pile on his bed. "Why do we always have to spend the holidays cleaning and sorting?"

"It could be worse," Harry reminded him. "At least your house hasn't been collecting magical creatures for years like Grimmauld Place. This work seems a lot less dangerous if you ask me."

Ron shot a glance at Harry and pulled out another handful of clothes from the box. Instead of tossing it on the bed, he let out a blood curdling scream pretending that he was being strangled. Harry couldn't help but laugh. A couple of summers ago when they were staying at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, Ron had been attacked by an ancient set of purple robes that didn't appreciate being removed from their wardrobe.

Harry looked around at their bedroom. Anything was better than cleaning Grimmauld Place.

"So what do you say we do with these?" Ron asked with a laugh.

He had just pulled several pairs of Fred and George's extendable ears from a box and was already racing from the room. Sensing that Ron was planning some mischief on their behalf, Harry grinned and ran after him.

Ron held up the extendable ears as he rushed into a bedroom near their own. "The Order of the Phoenix is having another secret meeting. We can listen in with these!"

Harry pushed Ron out of the way and barged into the room himself. His excitement was replaced with shock and embarrassment. Hermione and Ginny were sitting on the floor of their bedroom unpacking just as Ron and he had been. He had been foolish not to realize that Ginny would be staying at the Ministry of Magic too. Feeling his face get hot, he instinctively looked at the ground and mumbled a quick hello to both of the girls.

As the group crept down the stairs toward the kitchen, Ron whispered, "I'm really sorry, mate. I just wasn't thinking."

Huddling outside the door, Ron pushed one end of the flesh coloured cord into his ear and whispered 'Go' as he watched the other end wriggle itself under the door.

Harry took another pair of extendable ears and did the same, eager to catch some of the conversation being said in the next room.

"I suggest that the Ministry provide more Aurors to protect Hogwarts this year. I regret, but with Harry attending school, it will surely become You-Know-Who's main target. I suggest that we ask for at least two additional Aurors than those supplied last year," said a voice that unmistakably belonged to Molly Weasley.

"Unfortunately, the Minister believes that the school is safe." Harry recognized Arthur's voice. "I have already spoken to Scrimgeour and he is permitting that only Savage and Dawlish return this year."

"How could the Minister underestimate the situation so greatly? He stationed Savage, Tonks, Dawlish, and Proudfoot at the school last year and the threat has risen considerably since then," said Molly, her voice becoming even more high pitched.

Ron opened his mouth, but Hermione motioned for him not to speak. "I think I hear Lupin."

"As I have accepted my previous post at Hogwarts, Tonks and I will be moving onto the grounds for the start of term. We can help patrol the school at night so that there will be the same number of wizards protecting it as last year."

Ron elbowed Harry in the side, "We're getting an above-average Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher this year!"

"Be quiet Ron. They will hear you," whispered Ginny.

Molly was getting more excited and even without the extendable ears, they could hear the conversation. "If Tonks and Lupin will be staying at Hogwarts this year, Arthur and I will do the same. This place doesn't feel like home anyway."

Ron cursed.

With his hands over his mouth, Ron put his ear to the door hoping that no one had heard him. It didn't take long for Mrs. Weasley to open the kitchen door and find them huddled on the other side.

"I was just hoping to nick some food before dinner," Ron lied.

"Sure you were," said Mrs. Weasley. "I guess that Hermione, Ginny, and Harry just happened to be here to help carry the spoils back to your room. Don't let me ever hear that language in my house again, understood?"

Harry and his friends were hustled away from the kitchen by Mrs. Weasley. Without anything else to do, Harry hoped that they would return to their separate rooms. Glancing over his shoulder at Ginny, he saw her pulling Hermione toward her bedroom and understood that she felt the same way. He forced himself not to look at her. It would be hard living with the Weasley's and pretending that he didn't want to spend every moment of it with Ginny. Harry sat on the floor and began emptying a box without really caring what he did with its belongings.

"Hey mate. Those are my clothes. Don't go destroying them, okay? I don't need any more scruffs that Fred and George have outgrown. Last year, they put a bewitched toad in a pair of George's old trousers and I couldn't sit for a week!"

Ron did a little dance around the room trying to recreate what he would have looked like. When he noticed that Harry wasn't paying any attention, he stopped and sat on the floor next to his clothes. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Harry replied without looking up.


	9. Diagon Alley

-- CHAPTER NINE --

_Diagon Alley_

When Harry walked into the dining room, he couldn't help but notice that Ginny was sitting at the far end of the table. She was sitting between her Mum and Hermione, a sign which told him that she didn't want another awkward moment like earlier in the day. He was more than happy to enjoy his dinner from the other side of the table.

He couldn't help but think that his mind was playing tricks on him. Surely, the table had shrunk since the night before. Even though he had picked a spot as far away from Ginny as he could, she still seemed to be within arm's reach of him.

"Where is everyone?" Hermione asked.

"Lupin and Tonks are helping Arthur finish up some work for the Ministry. They have been swamped with reports of Muggles witnessing dark magic. Everyone else is out patrolling for the Order tonight."

Changing the subject to something a little lighter, Mrs. Wealsey continued, "Classes will be starting soon and I don't feel comfortable having the four of you milling around Diagon Alley alone this year. I am flooing there tomorrow to pick up your school supplies. If you need something not on your book lists, I will need to know tonight."

Harry took a deep breath trying to muster up all the courage that he could. "I won't need anything from Diagon Alley. I'm not going back to Hogwarts."

Silence overcame the group and Harry didn't have the courage to repeat himself. He knew the Order would want him to return to Hogwarts, but he couldn't hide within the walls of the castle while Voldemort continued to terrorize the wizarding world. To make matters worse, his dream was still troubling him. In fact, he couldn't take his mind off of it. If he returned to Hogwarts, Voldemort's Death Eaters would surely follow him. He knew the only way to keep Ron and Hermione safe was to go after Voldemort alone.

"You are going back, Harry. Dumbledore would have wanted it this way. Though you may not believe it, Hogwarts is the safest place to be right now." Mrs. Weasley said, her voice beginning to tremble.

"Please don't buy anything for me." He felt guilty putting Mrs. Weasley into this position. The last thing that he wanted was make her upset. Still, with Voldemort gaining strength he couldn't go back to Hogwarts now.

"You are going back to school." Mrs Weasley said, as she started to lose her composure. She got out of her chair and left Harry and his friends at the table, her dinner barely touched.

It was the first time that Harry had seen leave the family in the middle of a meal. From the expression on his friends' faces, they hadn't seen her this upset either.

"Well, if Harry's not returning to Hogwarts, there's no way that I'm going back. You heard her. She and Dad are going to move onto the grounds this year. I will never be able to live it down."

"Stop being such a git, Ron." Ginny said, glaring at her brother. Before Ron could say another word, she jumped out of her chair and stormed from the table as well.

* * * * *

"Can someone help me with these?" Hermione asked as she walked into the bedroom that Harry and Ron were sharing. She could hardly be seen over the stack of books that she was carrying.

"Please don't tell me that you are taking extra courses again,ཀ" Ron said with a look of exasperation.

"You idiot, these aren't all for me. What do you think that I would do with three Herbology books?ཀ She bought everything you two are going to need this year." Hermione dropped the books onto Harry's bed.

"She bought books for me too?" Harry riffled through the pile with a sense of dread. "Now I'm going to feel guilty when I have to return it all."

"I think that was her intention. She also bought you new robes and quills. She says that the robes have been altered so they are non-refundable." Hermione shifted a little hoping that Harry wouldn't catch the grin that had started to show on her face.

"Well I know that I won't feel the least bit guilty about returning _The Pinnacle of Potions,_" Ron said as he quickly skimmed through his new textbook and tossed it back onto the pile. "It will give Harry and I some spending money while we're gone."

"Don't tell me that you are still serious about joining Harry? Your mother will never let you," Hermione stated.

"Oh please don't start that," Ron replied. "Ginny is moody enough for everyone these days. I just wish that she would get over it. Harry and I are not going back to school. She is just so over dramatic sometimes."

"Will you quit acting like a spoiled brat!" Hermione got up and grabbed her books from the pile. Looking at Harry she continued, "You are just as bad. Talk to Ginny and get it over with. Ignoring each other isn't going to help anyone here, the most of all me. Did you know that Ginny is hiding in our room right now and won't let me in? When you two grow up you can find me downstairs reading through our new textbooks." Hermione spun on her heals to leave, slamming their bedroom door on her way out.

"Join her in pre-term class work? Count me out.ཀ" Ron said.

"Yeah, and its not like there is anything that I can do," Harry retorted. "Your sister won't even get within ten feet of me inside this house."

"I need to see you Harry." Lupin had poked his head into their room.

"Give me a couple of minutes to clean things up here?" His answer seemed to satisfy Lupin, who nodded and closed their door behind him.

"Well, I wonder what that was all about," Ron asked.

"I think I may have an idea." Harry said glumly.

Harry dreaded being in the same room with Lupin again. He knew that he had been out of line when they arrived at the Ministry of Magic. As much as he hated that the Order was working with the Ministry, he really shouldn't have yelled at Lupin. He should be grateful that he had showed up at the Dursley's when he had. If it wasn't for him, Dudley and the rest of his family would probably be dead. Approaching the stairs to the main floor, Harry was caught off guard when a door swung open and an arm pulled him inside.

Harry was so unprepared this attack that he almost screamed as Ginny dragged him into the bathroom. Standing there bewildered, he watched as she locked the door and cast a silencing charm around them.

"I need to talk to you, Harry. This is really important." Ginny said incredibly fast.

"Sure. What's up?" He knew how stupid he sounded as soon as the words left his lips, but he didn't know what else to say. He had spent so much time thinking of ways to avoid her that he had never thought what he would say if she actually wanted to talk with him.

"What's up! Thats all that you can say to me?" Ginny wasn't acting like herself. "Don't you even see that I still like you? No matter what I do I can't get over you." Tears started to roll down her cheeks.

She took his hand. He could feel her trembling. He wanted to hug her as tightly as he could and tell her that he loved her. He couldn't stand to see her cry in front of him. She was standing so close that he could smell the shampoo that she used to wash her hair. He had missed the way that she smelled.

She kissed him before he had time to react. It was quick and rushed, but he could taste the tears on her lips and for a minute he didn't want to think about anything else. Not Voldemort, not school, and surely not his future.

"Don't you see that I can't live like this? I can't live in the same house with you and not want to be with you. I'm not scared of Voldemort." Ginny pleaded. "We can make this work."

"You don't understand." Harry had finally found his voice. "I can only protect you if I let Voldemort believe that I don't care about you. Don't you see? I can't be with you."

"But Harry," Ginny pleaded. "The Ministry of Magic and the Order of the Phoenix will protect us while we are living here. Voldemort will never know." Ginny paused and looked at him. "If we don't enjoy the time that we have together, we may not have it in the future."

"I'm sorry Ginny. I can't." He squeezed past her and made his way downstairs to the dining room without looking back.


	10. Hogwarts

-- CHAPTER TEN --

_Hogwarts_

"I don't have time to wait while you horse around with your friends." Lupin got up from the chair and walked toward Harry.

"I-"

"When Arthur and I came home this morning, we found Molly in tears. With Arthur working for the Ministry, she is under enough stress without worrying that you might drop out of school."

"I can't go back to Hogwarts - not now."

"You don't have a choice, Harry. I know what this is about. You are an exceptional wizard, but you're still not powerful enough to go after Voldemort. Go to school and learn as much as you can. Hogwarts is the safest place for you."

"Dumbledore thought he knew who his allies were and look where it got him. I will not stay at Hogwarts like a sitting duck, while the Order chases after Lord Voldemort. We are in the middle of a war and I am going after him with or without your help."

Harry stood, furious that he was being treated like a child. How could anyone expect him to go back to school when Voldemort was out there somewhere?

"If you want to help the Order, you will go back at Hogwarts. You have a remarkable ability to save yourself when you're in danger, but you have never tried to overpower the Dark Lord. It's much more difficult than you might think. Maybe in a couple of years, you will be ready to help the Order. Until then, we need keep you safe."

"I haven't seen the Order of the Phoenix do anything to stop Lord Voldemort since I got here. I am either going to work with the Order or I am going to find Voldemort on my own!" Harry shouted.

"You may think that you have all of the training that you need, but Voldemort has many more years of experience than you do. He has greater abilities than I or any other wizard in the Order. The only way that we can defeat him is if the Order of the Phoenix fight as one."

"That's why I shouldn't go back to Hogwarts. I would learn much more working with the Order. I would be learning from the best wizards in the world."

Harry paused, feeling slightly smug.

"Then you should feel very lucky, Harry. The Order of the Phoenix's headquarters will be moving into the Hogwarts castle this fall."

* * * * *

King's Cross station had the usual hustle and bussle of most mornings. As they navigated through the crowded station, Harry tried to ignore the stares of Muggles. Even with the clothes that he had suggested, Arthur drew attention to himself as he animately pointed at different things around the station. Hedwig didn't help much either. His owl hated being cooped up in its cage and was hooting loudly.

They had left for the train station early that morning hoping to arrive with time to spare. Harry could tell that Arthur had suggested this with good reason. Ministry officials were standing at the entrance checking Hogwarts admission letters before allowing families onto the platform. Of course, the Muggles were completely unaware of this as they walked through the station. The Ministry of Magic had used a concealing charm to hide the crowd of wizard families that had begun to form around the platform entrance.

Tired and grumpy, no one was in the mood to talk. Harry and Ginny were still avoiding eye contact and now Hermione was upset as well. She had given up trying to reason with Ginny and had spent the last few nights sleeping on a cot in Fred and George's unpacked room. Ron seemed to be doing his best to steer Harry away from any situations where he might have to face Ginny again.

The line slowly moved forward. After nearly twenty minutes of waiting, one of the Ministry's aurors approached them, greeting Arthur with a look that bordered between polite acknowledgment and envy.

"Mornin' Arthur. Ministry give you the day off?"

"Not exactly, consider me undercover today. I told Scrimgeour that I would keep my eyes open for suspicious activity on the platform."

With a nod of the auror's head, Arthur led the group through the entrance.

The number of aurors waiting on the platform told Harry that the Ministry was scared. At least a dozen were standing among the families waiting. Now that Dumbledore was gone, things were much more dangerous for wizards that didn't ally themselves with Lord Voldemort.

"Have you noticed how few families are waiting for the train this year?" Ron said to no one in particular.

Harry had noticed this as well. Nearly a third of the school didn't seem to be coming back this year. He secretly hoped that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would notice and reconsider their own decision. After his argument with Lupin, he had become more worried about the dream he'd had weeks ago. He spent so much of his time thinking about it during the day that he was having nightmares when he was asleep. If his dream were to come true, and Ron and Hermione were in danger at Hogwarts, he could not justify returning to school at all.

The doors of the train opened and an old man with grey hair and round spectacles walked onto the platform with three of the Ministry's aurors behind him.

"Students and parents of students returning to Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft this year, I am Rufus Scrimgeour, your Minister of Magic. I am here to announce that due to the increased security at Hogwarts, the Ministry has added extra trains for students returning to school. Students will be randomly selected for each train, which will leave the platform at this time each morning for the next three days. I will begin by reading the names of students that will be returning to Hogwarts today. If your name is not called, please return tomorrow to see if you have been selected to take the next train."

The Minister of Magic took a roll of parchment from his robes and read the long list of names he had been given. Harry already knew that many of the student's the Minister read off the list would not be returning to Hogwarts. He had suspected that the Minister had been given a list of students enrolled the previous year. Hermione's name was called and she gave Mr. and Mrs. Weasley a hug before taking her trunks to the train. Ron gave Harry a playful poke in the ribs as they heard the Minister of Magic call his name next.

"I guess I will see you in a few days, mate."ཀ

"I wouldn't be so smug. Your name could still be called."

Harry shook Mr. Weasley's hand and Mrs. Weasley hugged him a little too tightly before he boarded the train. He found Hermione sitting in one of the first compartments with Neville. From inside the train he couldn't hear the Minister anymore, but he watched as students said goodbye to their parents and walked toward the train. When the crowd begin to leave the station, he saw Ron's face turn into a huge grin. He and Ginny wouldn't be taking the train to Hogwarts that day.


	11. Hagrid's Cabin

-- CHAPTER ELEVEN--

_Hagrid's Cabin_

Harry wrapped his invisibility cloak around him, listening to the swishing sound that it made against the grass. As he walked, he checked to make sure that every part of him was invisible. He didn't want to be noticed by any aurors patrolling the grounds. Leaving the Gryffindor dormitory was against the school rules.

Hermione had gone to bed early, complaining that the long wait at King's Cross Station had made her tired. Without Ron to talk to, he had quickly become bored. Only a dozen Gryffindors had been unlucky enough to take the first train to school.

Hagrid opened the door to his cottage, looked at the empty stoop, and whispered, "Come in quickly you two."

Harry pulled off the invisibility cloak and looked up at Hagrid who stared back at him with a puzzled look on his face.

"Where's Hermione? She got on the train with yeh this morning, didn't she?"

"She's already sleeping. Hagrid, what is that?" Harry pointed at the flames coming from a small wooden crate.

"O', well that's an Erumpent, Harry," Hagrid said proudly. "They are one of the noblest creatures alive today. A little misunderstood though."

Harry tried not to snicker. Hagrid's idea of a noble creature often included those that were most feared by the wizarding community. Harry could only guess what kind of creature would be scorching the inside of the wooden box. Following Hagrid around the kitchen table, he peered inside. The box held a miniature-sized hippo that was small enough to sit on his hand. It looked harmless, but he knew better than to get close to anything that Hagrid brought home. Watching the Erumpent charge at the walls, Harry saw that each time its single horn hit the wooden box, a miniature explosion would form from it.

"Hagrid, how large will this Erumpent get?"

"Oh, Whisker's here will get to be the size of a hippogriff if she is lucky r'nuf to make it to adulthood."

Hagrid tried to pet Whiskers, but she dug her horn deep into his palm. With a puff of smoke he stepped back from the box and inspected the damage to his hand.

"Sure hate it when she does that. She likes to play, yeh know. Hasn't realized her full strength yet."

"Um Hagrid, does Whiskers even have any uh...whiskers?"

"No she doesn't. I was thinking of callin her Horn, but that just sounded dumb." Hagrid shot a smile at Harry. "Can I make yeh a cup tea? I was making one fer myself when yeh knocked."

Harry nodded and Hagrid took two cups from the cupboard. While his back was turned, Harry decided that he should use this as an opportunity to bring up something that had been troubling him for awhile.

"I had a dream over the summer. I'm not sure what to think about it. In it, the Death Eaters came onto the Quidditch pitch and used the Avada Kedavra curse on Ron and Hermione," Harry paused, "Malfoy was also there."

Harry could feel his face get hot and pretended to be interested with the Erumpent inside the wooden box. Hagrid put the kettle back on the stove.

"Was Malfoy a Death Eater?"

"No. He was on the Slytherin team. He was taunting me," Harry said.

Hagrid took a seat across from Harry and handed him a cup of tea. "Try not to dwell on it. Malfoy won't be comin' back to Hogwarts after what he and Snape did last year." Harry could feel the hate in Hagrid's words. "And believe me, the Headmistress is closely watching anyone whose family has ties with You-Know-Who."

Harry had almost forgotten that Professor McGonagall would be Headmistress this year. "It's going to be different without Dumbledore around."

"There won't never be another Headmaster like Dumbledore. But Harry, I think you better be getting yourself back. It's almost 3am."

Harry hadn't even realized the time. He collected his cup and placed it on the counter with the rest of Hagrid's dishes before covering himself in his invisibility cloak and walking out into the chilly blackness of the night.


	12. Seamus' Revenge

-- CHAPTER TWELVE --

_Seamus Gets His Revenge_

"How much longer can the train be? I'm starving!" Neville's complaint seemed to echo that of most of the other students gathered in the Great Hall. Though this, the last train to Hogwarts, had been due to arrive more than an hour ago, Ron and Ginny still hadn't arrived. If the train had been on time, he and his friends would be enjoying the start of term feast by now.

Just about everyone in the Great Hall were huddled around their house tables complaining to each other. Some had actually gotten from their seats and were chatting with students from other houses to see what was going on. The room was so loud that it was hard to hear individual conversations.

Only two teachers were present in the hall and even they looked worried as they stood talking to each other. Everyone seemed to have a theory as to why the Hogwarts Express was late.

The hall seemed to be getting louder around them. Neville elbowed Harry in the side and pointed at the entrance. The last group of students had just entered the Great Hall. Within seconds the room turned even more chaotic as students jumped from their seats to find friends among those who had just arrived. Harry scanned the crowd looking for Ron and Ginny's distinctive red hair, but Neville was the first person to find them. After another ten minutes of pushing through the crowd, Ron collapsed on a seat beside Hermione and Neville.

"What happened with the train? Did it get attacked by Death Eaters?"

"No, we had to stop because Goyle and Seamus got into a pretty nasty fight. That git started picking on the younger students as soon as the train left the station, spouting filth about Slytherin being the best house and that any new students selected to be in it would have to prove their loyalty to him first. Seamus was getting sweets from the cart and overheard it all. He got so mad that no one could stop him. He didn't even use his wand. He just kept hitting Goyle over and over again. It wasn't really a fight – Goyle never had a chance to hit him back. Seamus wouldn't stop until a couple of Ministry officials pulled him off. There was blood everywhere. I can't blame him though: Goyle got what was coming to him. He and Crabbe have been walking in Malfoy's shadow ever since our first year: they were probably dying to prove that they can fill his shoes now that he is a death eater. I don't know what was with Crabbe though. He just stood watching it happen with everyone else. He probably knew that Seamus would have put him in the hospital wing too if he had tried anything.

The two large entrance doors slammed closed with a loud bang.. The conversations around the room quickly ended as McGonagall walked through the Great Hall, taking her place with the other professors. As she stood before the students, she glanced across the room with the same air of authority that Harry had seen in Dumbledore. She demanded silence from her students and did it without having to say a single word.

"It is another year of academics at Hogwarts castle. Please join me in welcoming our newest students as well as our new Deputy Headmaster, Professor Slughorn.

With a flick of the wrist, McGonagall charmed open the large wooden doors at the back of the Great Hall revealing approximately twenty nervous first years. Professor Slughorn led the procession to the front of the hall where the new students would wait to be sorted into their school houses.

"How can this be?" Ron asked. "Slughorn has only been here a year. They wouldn't make him Deputy Headmaster already!"

"Ron, how many times have I told you to read _Hogwarts: A History_? Professor Slughorn returned from retirement last year. He's been teaching at Hogwarts since Dumbledore began." Hermione looked disapprovingly at Ron. "Really Ron, you make all of us look like idiots here."

Ron chose to ignore Hermione's last statement and cheered enthusiastically for the newest group of students to join Gryffindor.

"I must say that these are unpredictable times and I am glad that so many of our students have chosen to return to Hogwarts this year," said McGonagall. "For this reason, I have decided to increase certain security measures in place here. For the safety of our students and staff, some of the most powerful wizards as well as aurors from the Ministry of Magic have been invited to stay on the school's grounds. In addition to the rules already in effect at Hogwarts, I would also like to ask that students follow the directions set out by these wizards whether in the castle or on the grounds.

As your new Headmistress, I will strive to continue the long standing tradition of academic excellence at Hogwarts. I would like to start by welcoming our new staff members, all of whom I are great additions to our school. Returning as our Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher is Professor Remus Lupin. His dedication to his pupils has always been admired by the faculty and we welcome his return the school."

McGonagall turned to face Lupin, who was standing in front of his chair at the professor's table, and applauded him. Harry, Ron, and Hermione stood from their seats and joined her. A few other students clapped and they heard a couple of whistles from the back of the room. More then anything else, Harry could hear the quiet whispering of the students around him. It was now general knowledge that Lupin was a werewolf. He had chosen to resign when word had first begun to spread through the school.

"I am also proud to welcome a new professor that will be taking over my position as transfiguration's master. Over the past few years I have had the pleasure witnessing this young woman's brilliant capabilities as an animagus." McGonagall turned to her opposite side and applauded a young blonde-haired woman standing at the professors' table. Harry's jaw dropped and he heard Hermione curse under her breath.

"Isn't that the reporter who wrote all those lies about you and Hermione?" It was Ron who was first able to put a full sentence together. Hermione nodded as she starred at the new professor in disbelief.

Rita Skeeter beamed as the students clapped for her. Harry swore that he saw her eyes rest on him briefly as she gave a shy wave to the other students.

And now before we begin our feast I would like to quickly introduce two new head of house. Replacing Professor Snape as the head of Slytherin house is Professor Slughorn and as I can no longer continue my duties as the Gryffindor head of house, I can think of no one better to replace me than Professor Rubeus Hagrid. Please give a round of applause for all of our teaching staff, new and old."

"Let the feast beginཀ"


	13. Professor Rita Skeeter

-- CHAPTER THIRTEEN –

_Professor Rita Skeeter_

"Can you believe it - Skeeter is late to her own class. That doesn't exactly show her so called _brilliance_, now does it?" Hermione had been insulting their new professor since she, Ron and Harry had entered their first Transfigurations class of the year.

After fifteen minutes had passed without a sign of their teacher, Harry couldn't help but wonder if Professor Skeeter would come at all. The last time that he had spoken with her, she had been a journalist for the Daily Prophet. Hermione had hated her almost immediately for writing lies about their friendship. He could already sense that this class would turn into a power struggle between the two women.

"I hope you weren't waiting too long for me," Rita Skeeter apologized as she waltzed into the classroom and smiled at the bewildered students around her. "It's so refreshing to start the day with senior students. We will be able to dive right into complex theory and try some practical approaches that I'm sure you will find very interesting,"

Harry noticed Hermione fidget. As soon as the Professor Skeeter paused, Hermione's arm shot into the air.

"Yes, Miss Granger." Rita Skeeter said calmly.

"I was just wondering how your position as a journalist contributes to your ability in transfiguration?" Hermione shot an equally sincere smile back at Professor Skeeter.

Harry kicked her under their table. Hermione could very well become the first student of the year to get detention if she kept it up.

"That's a very observant question. Transfiguration has been a hobby of mine for many years. Even though I have been a registered animagus for only a year now, I have always had a passion for transfiguring myself and other objects. The art of human transfiguration has captivated wizards for centuries. It is both exciting and extremely difficult to master. In light of this I expect that each of you will become registered animagi by the time you graduate."

"What kind of animal do you transfigure into?" Ernie Macmillan interrupted. He was sitting on the other side of Ron and appeared to be memorizing every word that Professor Skeeter was saying.

"Ah, yes. I assure you, at some point throughout the year I will demonstrate my abilities as an animagus. I do not take my ability lightly and I encourage the same from each of you. Those that flaunt their talents are often the first to be overcome by their enemies."

Returning to the task at hand, Professor Skeeter continued, "For today, let's focus our attention on the animal that will become your animagus form. Choosing your animal is very important. Wizards and animals must always be in balance in the natural world. Though a select few can change their form at will, a common misconception is that a wizard is able to choose their animagus form. Instead, it is the animal that chooses the wizard. In order to keep balance among the natural world, most witches or wizards are only able to transfigure themselves into an animal form which they share common traits. Before any of you can master the art of transfiguration, you will need to look deep within yourselves to find your strongest traits. For homework tonight I would like each of you to read chapter thirteen in _Guide to Advanced Transfiguration_. Once you have read the theory behind choosing the animal form that is right for you, I would like you come up with three possible animals that you feel represent your essence of being."


	14. When In Wales

-- CHAPTER FOURTEEN --

_When in Wales_

Hermione was sitting at her usual table in the library reading a thick book called, _When in Wales: a complex history for the avid traveller_. Even as Ron and Harry sat down next to her, her eyes didn't leave the page. Instead, she pointed at the pile of books she had left on the table in front of her. Too lazy to get out of his chair, Harry leaned over the table as far as he could and slowly pulled the pile toward himself. He didn't need to hear Ron groan to know that these were the books they needed to complete the Herbology paper due at the end of the week. It was pretty evident that she was trying to keep them from copying her work later.

"This research will take us all night! It's two hours before curfew and we could be out doing something fun," Ron complained. "Come on Harry, help me out with this."

Realizing that Hermione would put up an argument if they asked to copy her paper later (she _had_ given them the books, it was their fault that they hadn't used them) Harry reluctantly grabbed a book from the top of the pile and started searching for information on the borage, a prickly weed with blue heart-shaped flowers that treated pestilential fevers and expelled venomous poisons. Ron looked at him with disgust before taking a book and randomly flipping through its pages. It wasn't long before Ron had given up, choosing to stare at Hermione instead.

"When do you think Skeeter will let us transfigure ourselves? I think I would make a good tiger. Though, I will have to practice the walk a little." Ron snickered.

"I doubt a tiger would be scared of spiders." Hermione said, rolling her eyes from behind her book.

"Well if you're so smart, what animal best represents your essence of being?" Ron said in a tone that mocked their new transfigurations professor.

"I have already found my best three."

Hermione handed a piece of parchment to Ron. Looking over his shoulder Harry read the proposal Hermione had already finished for Professor Skeeter. In Hermione's neat writing, it read:

Gorilla - Proven intelligence in its ability to learn language

Dolphin - Sociable creatures with a sophisticated use of echolocation

African Grey Parrot - Understands language (vocabulary of up to 1000 words) as well as exhibiting powers of telepathy

"And I was going to pick the African Grey Parrot," Ron smirked, "What will I do now?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and flipped through a few more pages of her book. Pausing to read a passage, her eyes went wide and her face erupted into a huge smile. Pushing the open book at Ron and Harry, she pointed at a picture of an old manor on a large country estate.

"I found it! I know where the Hufflepuff Horcrux is!"

* * * * *

"Help me spread the word that I'm cancelling Quidditch tryouts today? Now that we know where the Hufflepuff cup is, we have to figure out how to destroy it." Harry said to Ron while they munched on toast and marmalade in the Great Hall.

"You can't be serious! Our first game against Slytherin is just a week away. If you put off tryouts any longer we won't have enough time to practice as a team. We all thought that Malfoy would be made captain this year. Now that he's working alongside Voldemort no one has found out who the new Slytherin Captain is. They are also being very hush-hush about their new Seeker too." Ron pointed at the Slytherin table where last year's Quidditch team was huddled together.

Taking a sip of her pumpkin juice, Hermione sat down next to Ron.

"I think I will step down. Someone else can be captain this year,"

"Now I know you've gone mental! Most people would give a limb to be captain," Ron said in disbelief.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione was staring at Harry with a puzzled look on her face.

"Oh, Harry has just lost his mind," said Ron nonchalantly. "The nutter wants to cancel this morning's tryouts. I know the Horcrux is important. I want to save the world too, but not on a Quidditch day!"

"You can't stop playing Quidditch!" Hermione said with a hushed urgency.

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. Of all people, he thought that Hermione would be on his side. She had been spending every spare moment in the library since they found out the location of the Horcrux.

Glancing around to make sure that no one else was listening; Hermione leaned toward her friends, "If Dumbledore's death taught us anything, it's to trust no one. With all the new auror's within the castle, Voldemort could easily have a spy in Hogwarts. And yesterday in the library, did you two notice anything strange?"

Harry and Ron shook their heads.

"Crabbe was studying two tables away from us. I don't think I've ever seen him in the library. Draco may not be a student anymore, but that won't stop him from using his friends if he wants something from within these walls. No one can know what we are doing. I think it best if we go to the library at night with Harry's invisibility cloak. As far as everyone else is concerned, we should act as if nothing different is going on."


	15. The Beginning of the End

** CHAPTER FIFTEEN **

_The Beginning of the End_

"Quickly everyone, I want to see the Chaser's first,"

Harry stood in the middle of the field as six Gryffindors kicked off the ground and began to circle the pitch. He recognized most of the faces as those that had played on the team last year. As they dove high and low around the pitch, taking turns scoring with the Quaffle, he noticed that Ginny was missing. She had been Gryffindor's Chaser the previous year and he had entered the pitch certain that she would be picked to play on the team again. He had hoped that Quidditch would give him a reason to see more of her and the fact that she wasn't there disappointed him. Maybe Hermione could pass along a message and tell her that she could do her tryout at their next practice.

A large group of spectators had come to watch the tryouts. Though people from every school house had turned up, it was the Slytherins that made the most noise. While the Slytherin team aimed well rehearsed taunts at the Gryffindors trying out for the team, Harry tried to spot their new Quidditch captain. Goyle seemed the logical choice for captain. Everyone had noticed how he had seemed to effortlessly take Draco's place as a bully among the senior class. Together Goyle and Pansy Parkinson were holding up a banner that flashed in big block letters, "The Beginning of the End" and showed a scene where the players on the Gryffindor team were each knocked off their brooms by a flyaway Bludger. Harry felt an involuntary chill go up his spine. He couldn't help but think of the dream that he had dreamt right before leaving for Hogwarts.

The rest of the Slytherins were taunting and shouting at the new Gryffindors on the pitch. Crabbe was the only Slytherin that didn't seem interested in the tryouts. Instead, he was hastily writing in his notebook, only looking up occasionally to watch the new players. Could he be the new Slytherin captain? Harry thought it unlikely, but then again, Crabbe was the only one acting unusual. Maybe if he had been picked as captain, he was taking his new duty seriously.

Harry motioned for the Beater's and Keeper's to join the Chasers and released the Bludger. It immediately rose and started charging toward the players. Unprepared, some of the younger Gryffindor's chose to duck rather than move out of the way. The Slytherin's howled with laughter.

Harry was already considering Colin Creevey for chaser. He noticed that Colin had seemed to grow taller and calmer over the summer. He was no longer the kid that would follow him around snapping pictures of his idol to show his family. As Colin scored a goal, he looked over at Harry with an excited smile before flying a victory lap around the pitch.

Harry was also pleased to see the confidence that Ron had gained over the summer. As he took his turn in front of the goal hoops, he was laughing and cheering on the other players. He seemed more at ease this year, even with the large crowd that had shown up to watch the tryouts. As Ron caught the Quaffle, Harry could hear Hermione squeal in delight.

"I'm just getting warmed up! You haven't seen anything yet." Ron flashed a wicked smile at her before focusing back on the game.

Harry had to agree. During the tryout, Ron had saved nearly every shot taken on him. Most of the crowd had gotten to their feet and were cheering each time that he made another save. The only people not cheering and clapping were the Slytherins. There was no guessing about whom he would pick as Keeper this year.

Motioning for the players to return to the ground, he waited for everyone to huddle around him. I want to thank you all for trying out this year. I will post the people I have selected for the team in the common room by the end of the week.

Normally, he would have announced who would be on the team right away and a few of the returning players eyed him with suspicion. In the back of his mind, he knew that Ginny would want to be on the team. He couldn't bring himself to replace her before Hermione had a chance to convince her to return.

"Harry! So I am going to be on the team, right?" Ron grinned from ear to ear. "Did you see me catch that last one? I was sure I was going to miss it."

"Yeah. You did really great out there." Harry said. He was so relieved to see that Ron had somehow lost his nervousness.

"Ron," Hermione squealed as she ran toward them. "You were amazing. Everyone was talking about you in the stands. You looked like a natural out there."

Blushing, Ron tried to hide his grin as they walked back to the castle. "It was luck mostly. I could have missed the Quaffle any one of those times."


	16. A Delicate Situation

-- CHAPTER SIXTEEN --

_A Delicate Situation_

"I should really talk to McGonagall about her transfigurations replacement. If she only knew of Skeeter's serious lack of teaching ability she would be as appalled as I am", Hermione fumed as she left transfigurations with Ron, Harry, and Neville. "If I were smart I would have stopped taking that class like Neville."

"Oh, please don't bring me into this," Neville whined. "My Grandmother is still disappointed in me. She still hasn't gotten over the fact that I dropped Transfiguration for Herbology,"

"I didn't think today's class was so bad," said Harry.

"Of course you wouldn't. You and Ron were in the back of the class talking all period," Hermione said. "While you two were having fun, Skeeter unfairly singled me out while I was working on my lab. She said that my animagus choices weren't right for me. I researched those animals for hours. They were perfect."

"Were you able to transfigure your hair clipping into any of them?" Ron asked her.

"Well no, but that's not the point. You should listen to how she speaks to me. She shouldn't presume to know me. All she did was write a couple of lousy articles."

"Well she did have a point about keeping the balance in nature, though. An African parrot would look a little out of place around here," Ron said sarcastically.

Harry was amused by Hermione's rant. He really didn't think that Professor Skeeter was that bad of a teacher. In fact, he had been able to transfigure his hair clipping into a hair clipping with black furry ears. Professor Skeeter had said that he was showing potential and that no one would be able to fully transfigure their clipping right away. Just the same, Hermione seemed to be getting more of Skeeter's attention since her power struggle with the professor on their first class. As they entered Lupin's classroom, Hermione was trying to convince Ron that Professor Skeeter was not ethically qualified to teach transfigurations."

Professor Lupin stood in front of the class waiting to begin.

"There is no point sugar-coating the truth. I am going to teach you as many complicated spells and counter curses that I can think of. Voldemort is gaining strength and followers. As seniors at Hogwarts, I expect you to become experts at counteracting the dark forces. It is important that you master what I teach you this year so that once you graduate, you will be able to protect yourselves and your families. We will start today by learning the incantation for the Patronus charm, the most effective method to repel a Dementor. I know of a few students that have already learned this incantation, a fact that works perfectly in our favour."

Lupin motioned for those that knew the incantation to step forward. Harry looked around at the students who had been in the DA - they had the incantation perfect. The other people in the class were looking at them in amazement. They had never seen the charm in effect before.

"Great job," Lupin remarked, "Now, I would like everyone to form a circle. For this activity I am going to need Harry in the middle. Everyone, please take a step back, Professor Lupin instructed. AWhat I would like to do is have Harry force this Buggart to assume the shape of a Dementor and then have the rest of you to practice your Patronus' on it. If those that already know the charm produce a weak Patronus, it will allow the rest of the class to practice without becoming overwhelmed by the Dementor. I would like everyone to form a circle in the middle of the room."

Harry stood surrounded by his classmates as Professor Lupin released the Buggart. As the Buggart rose above Harry it changed its shape to show a huge black-cloaked Dementor. Nearly all the students instinctively moved back. Harry even heard a couple of gasps by a cluster of girls to his right. Only Hermione, Neville and Luna remained in the circle. Receiving a nod from Lupin, they pointed their wards over Harry and shouted, _Expecto Protronum. _Instantly, a silvery fog came from their wands pooling between Harry and the Dementor above him. As Hermione, Neville and Luna held the Protronus charm on the Dementor, Lupin signaled for the rest of the students to practice the charm.

"Now remember, over Harry, not at him."

When Lupin dismissed the class, most of the students had been able to produce a weak Protronus, even though for most, their charms had produced a silvery mist instead of an animal form. Hermione, Harry, and Ron had already learned how to make this stronger Patronus, which for them took the form of an Otter, Stag, and a Jack Russell terrier respectively.

Hermione, Harry and Ron were about to leave when Lupin called them into his office. When they got inside, they saw that Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom were waiting for the professor as well. Lupin followed the group and shut the door behind them.

As Lupin gazed at the bewildered faces of the five students standing in front of him, he cleared his throat and started to explain why they had all been asked to stay behind.

"Snape's extensive knowledge of the Order of the Phoenix and its ties to each of you has presented us with a delicate situation. We cannot guarantee your safety within the walls of the castle even with the Order's protection. For this reason, it has been decided that each of you will learn Occlumensy this year. Professor McGonagall and I have already arranged to pair you with aurors currently stationed at Hogwarts so that they can give you lessons once a week."

Lupin looked around to see if anyone had anything to say about the matter, but as the expression on their faces seemed to express a mutual acceptance.


	17. Quidditch

-- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN --

_Quidditch_

The Great Hall had more students than usual for a Saturday morning. Harry knew that it had to do with the Quidditch game between his team and Slytherin that would start in little over an hour. It didn't matter whether you were playing; everyone wanted to get out to the Quidditch field as soon as they could.

As Harry walked through the Great Hall looking for his friends, many of the Gryffindors he passed high-fived, patted him on the back, or cheered some sort of Gryffindor salute to him. Most of the people he passed were in Gryffindor green, but he could see a sea of red at the Slytherin table as well. Even with all of the excitement of the game, he felt a sickening dread hanging over him. Though Hagrid had given him good reason to believe that his dream was nothing more than that, he still couldn't shake the sick feeling that he had in his stomach when he thought about the upcoming Quidditch game with Slytherin.

As Harry approached his friends, Ron and Hermione got up from the table to meet him.

"Harry. You're going to be late!" Ron shoved two pieces of toast in one hand and a cup of pumpkin juice in the other.

As they walked out to the Quidditch field, Hermione linked arms with Harry. She seemed to be in a delightful mood.

"I have some good news for you, Harry. I did a little poking around and found out who the new Slytherin captain is. You won't have any trouble today." Hermione squeezed his arm and ran off to find a seat in the stands.

As Harry walked into the changing rooms, he saw the rest of his team there very eager and very nervous, ready to start the game. Ron, who didn't seem nervous at all, was already across the room telling stories about some of the more daring saves he had made on the team the year before. His hands were swooping in the air and diving toward the ground. The new players looked at him in awe. Harry was glad that he seemed to have gotten a handle on his nerves. Yelling loudly, he gave his usual speech and led them out onto the pitch.

Flying high over his teammates and waiting for the game to begin, Harry scanned the crowd looking for Hermione. When he found her, she waved and pointed at the Slytherin team huddled together on the pitch. In the middle giving instructions to the rest of the team was Goyle. Was Hermione serious? Was Goyle was the team's new captain? That couldn't be. Goyle's idea of a good Quidditch game was putting two or more opposing players in the hospital wing. He didn't know the first thing about strategy. The game would definitely be interesting. Harry couldn't believe his luck.

As Madame Hooch threw the Quaffle into the air, Harry flew overtop watching his team. He also took quick moments to scan the crowd for Ginny. Selfishly, he hoped that she would be watching the game so that he could get a glimpse of her. She never came out for the team and since school had started she had stopped hanging out with Hermione when he and Ron were around.

As he circled on his Firebolt, he watched Ron save a shot taken on the goal by Vaisey. He watched as the crowd got to their feet.

"What's the matter with you! The Snitch! The Snitch!" Ron was yelling at him.

Harry looked quickly around the pitch for the tiny golden ball. A body slammed into him almost knocking him off his broom. As he regained his composure he looked over to see Colin hovering next to him.

"Keep your eyes open, Harry. That Bludger almost creamed you."

Harry looked around at the crowd. Most of the students had gone silent and were staring at him. He felt foolish for making such a dumb mistake. As he began circling on his broom again, he looked around for the Slytherin Seeker. Typically the Slytherin Seeker looked to Harry to find the Snitch, but this time it was Harry's turn. He had been so distracted he had barely looked for the little golden ball. If Gryffindor were going to win he would have to find it soon. Gryffindor was still behind by thirty points. They couldn't afford to waste anymore time.

A roar came from the crowd. The Slytherin Seeker was holding the little fluttering Snitch in his hands. The Slytherins had won the Quidditch game.

As Harry touched the ground his team and the spectators were already heading back to the castle. He scanned through the spectators but he couldn't see any of his friends. He would just have to meet them in the Gryffindor common room. Ron hadn't waited for him either. Filled with the disappointment from the game, Harry headed back to the castle with the rest of the gloomy-looking Gryffindor team.

*****

The Gryffindor common room was filled with students still wearing the scarves and toques that they had worn proudly to the game. Unlike after other games though, there was no butter beer or cauldron cakes taken out for the celebration. Most were talking in small groups while others were already heading to their dormitories or out onto the grounds for one last walk before nightfall. Hermione, Ron, and Neville had claimed a sofa and were in a deep discussion. When Harry walked over to them, Hermione said a quiet hello and Neville nodded his head in acknowledgement. Ron didn't even look in his direction.

"You took off pretty quickly after the game." Harry said to Ron, squeezing onto the sofa.

"Well from the way you were playing today I didn't think that you even cared about the game. I was yelling you to go after the Snitch the whole time. I could see it from where I was, but all you did this game was stare at your new girlfriend," Ron shouted while Hermione went a slight shade of pink.

"I don't know what you were talking about. Ginny wasn't even in the stands." Harry almost choked on the words. He looked equally angry at Ron who promptly got up and left the common room.

"Oh, and speaking of Ginny," Hermione was now fuming. "If you still like her, do something about it. Do you realize that she wouldn't leave the dormitory this morning because of the Quidditch game? I will not be forced to choose sides." Hermione stormed off as well.

Most of the students had left the common room. Neville had already left for the dormitory; he had soon gotten bored of waiting for Ron and Hermione to return. Harry, on the other hand, had spent what felt like an eternity staring at the fire. How could his two best friends be angry with him? The night really wasn't turning out the way he had hoped. To top things off he had blurted Ginny's name in front of them and anyone else listening nearby. He had been so relieved for the game to be over and return to the common room that he never realized that his friends would be angry with him for losing the Quidditch game. He hadn't played with his normal 110%, but he never expected his friends to be angry with him over it.

Harry's stomach suddenly lurched. It would be dawn in a few hours and his friends hadn't returned. His eyes darted around the room. Everyone else had gone to bed. Before he could think of what to do, he heaved open the portrait and ran out into the corridor. Surely, someone would still be up. All the halls within the castle were empty. He could hardly see through the shadowy corridors. As he pushed open the heavy doors leading out to the grounds, the only light he could see was the faint glow of Hagrid's cabin. Going as fast as he could, Harry ran down the steep hill not stopping until he reached the front door of the cabin. Leaning on the door as he tried to catch his breath, he banged his fist as loudly as he could. Fang barked loudly and after a couple of minutes the door opened and a tired looking Hagrid was facing him.

"Harry, it's really late. You know that yah really shouldn't be outta the castle at this hour." Hagrid looked at Harry, who was still panting and had a terrible look on his face. "Should I make yah a cup o' tea?"

"I can't find Ron or Hermione!"


	18. The Dark Mark

-- CHAPTER EIGHTEEN --

_The Dark Mark_

"Slugpops!"

Hagrid said the secret password to the Headmistress' office before stepping onto the revolving spiral staircase that rose up to it. When they reached the top, Harry knocked loudly on the large oak door hoping that Professor McGonagall would still be awake.

"Rebeus?" McGonagall looked at him questionably, but motioned for them to come into her office.

As Harry walked into the office, a new portrait on the wall held his gaze. Within its large golden frame Dumbledore sat, fast asleep and snoring into a book slumped across his chest. Other than this, the office looked much the same as it did when he used to visit him. Even his pensieve was still tucked away in a corner of the room. The only difference was that everything seemed to be in its place. Dumbledore always had his work scattered around the room. It was so organized now that Harry suspected McGonagall still worked out of her old Transfiguration's office.

"It's awfully late," McGonagall said with a yawn. "Is there something that I can do for you two?"

"Yes professor, I'm worried about Ron and Hermione. They haven't returned to the dormitories yet," Harry said apprehensively.

"The matter of missing students is an issue to take up with the prefects, Rebeus. McGonagall turned and walked back behind her desk. "Inform the prefects to do a search of the castle and send Hermione and Ronald to my office when they are found. They are good students and I wouldn't want this becoming a habit that could tarnish a rather good school record."

"I don't think that you fully understand what Harry means, professor. Harry feels that it may link to You-Know-Who," Hagrid fidgeted with the thought.

"Well in that case, please tell me everything that happened. What makes you think that this has something to do with Lord Voldemort?" McGonagall said while sitting on the edge of her desk looking from Harry to Hagrid.

Harry recounted his dream while watching the headmistress' expression become more and more troubled. When he finished she sat silently facing them. Harry hoped that she wouldn't dismiss it as the wild dreaming of a teenager.

"I want you two to remain inside the castle and search the hallways by Gryffindor Tower. I will wake the other professors and the Ministry officials. We will search the rest of the castle and the exterior."

As they walked higher up Gryffindor tower, Harry hoped that his friends had returned to their common room. Other professors passed them on their way to search the school's grounds. Many stopped to assure Harry that they would find Ron and Hermione. Looking at their faces though, Harry could tell that they were as worried as he was. Since Dumbledore's death, rumours had circulated that Voldemort would plan an attack on the castle, but until tonight there had been no sign of dark magic nearby.

As they reached Harry's common room he stood in front of the Fat Lady's Portrait and said the password.

Through tears she said, "I- I'm sorry dear. I can't let you in." Sobbing loudly she continued, "The password is incorrect."

"What do you mean incorrect? I just left an hour ago. Since when is the password changed in the middle of the night? Let me in!" Harry's voice started to rise in anger at the Fat Lady.

The lady in the portrait used the sleeve of her robe to dry her face.

"Don't you bully me! I am protecting the lives of my students. After the terrible news of your friends, I am not letting anyone in!" Another fresh set of tears ran down her face and she began sobbing loudly into her hands.

The other portraits looked angrily at Hagrid. Harry could tell that they wanted him to make her stop crying. Apart from removing her portrait from the wall, Harry knew that there wasn't anything that would make Gryffindor tower quiet.

"Will someone tell that weeping wall hanging to stop her blubbering? If she knew of all the commotion going on outside the castle she would be singing a different tune." The ghostly apparition of Nearly Headless Nick floated down the hall. The portraits began walking between their frames whispering to each other and trying to find a portrait with a view out of the castle windows.

"What are you talking about? Harry demanded.

"Well look for yourself. The Quidditch field is lit up like a Christmas tree."

Harry didn't take the time to look out the window. The word _Quidditch_ rang inside his head and he knew something terrible had happened. He ran down the stone steps of Gryffindor tower two at a time, pushed open the heavy wooden doors at the bottom, and ran out onto the school grounds. As the cold crisp air hit him, Hagrid yelled for him to stop. His sides hurt and he hoped that he wasn't too late. Wizards were already huddled in the middle of the field. As he got closer, he could see Professor McGonagall and Tonks standing next to each other. Lupin stood on the other side of Tonks and had his arm around her. Harry didn't recognize the other wizards. As he got closer his stomach flip flopped. He didn't want to know what they were looking at, but he couldn't stop himself.

He pushed himself between McGonagall and Tonks. Lying on the ground in front of him was a mop of fiery red hair. He clung onto McGonagall's arm to keep himself from collapsing. He was sure that his legs would give out at any minute.

It wasn't Ron or Hermione lying on the ground. Instead, it was Ginny. Her body was sprawled across the damp grass, her eyes staring at the sky above. He didn't want to believe what he was seeing. He couldn't cry. He couldn't feel anything.

Professor McGonagall put her arms around him as they stood in front of Ginny's crumpled body.

"You shouldn't be here, Harry. Let me take you back to the castle."

Harry didn't move and the Headmistress didn't seem to have the energy to ask him again. Harry felt Hagrid's arm on his shoulder.

"What the…" Hagrid stumbled over his words. "Come on Harry. This is no place for you to be tonight."

Hagrid put his arm around Harry and tried to move him away from Ginny's body. As he turned, Harry bumped into a couple more wizards coming up behind him. Mumbling an apology, he looked up into the faces of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. They were in their night robes and looked to have been sleeping before going down to the pitch.

"Harry, what are you doing outside? It's much too late." Looking from Harry to Hagrid, Arthur continued, "Does the Ministry need any help? I saw the lights from our cottage."

Harry watched Arthur Weasley gaze over his shoulder to the group of wizards behind him. In that moment, Harry saw understanding in Mr Weasley's eyes. He knew that he had lost his daughter that night. It wasn't until he put his arm around his wife and tried to move her back from the crowd that she noticed what everyone was staring at. She did not scream or cry out. Harry wasn't sure if it was because he was standing in front of them, but Mrs. Weasley let out only a small whimper as if she was no more than a child. Sobbing quietly she pushed through the other wizards and knelt next to her daughter.

Hagrid finally pulled Harry away from the group and steered him back to the castle. As they were leaving, he felt a searing pain pulse through his body. He grabbed his forehead as the sky above him grew bright and the glow of the dark mark made the Quidditch field turn into a series of green shadows.

The visions of his dream returned to him. "It has to be Snape. I know it. He's still on the grounds."

Harry immediately felt the stares of the other wizards on him.

"It's impossible - the security is impregnable." Headmistress McGonagall said. The other aurors looked at each other, slowly nodding their heads in agreement.

"If he had returned, those on patrol tonight would have noticed. I don't want to suggest this, but I feel the culprit might be staying within Hogwarts.


	19. Ghosts in the Dungeons

-- CHAPTER NINETEEN --

_Ghosts in the Dungeons_

Having received the correct password to the Gryffindor dormitory from McGonagall, Harry watched from within the common room as the portrait sealed the entranceway. Exhausted, he was the only Gryffindor still awake. The only sound came from orange sparks exploding like fireworks in the fireplace. Harry could feel his body aching, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep. As he sat on a large couch that he and his friends often took for themselves, he stared at the green glow of the sky from one of the tower's stone windows. Somewhere in the shadowy night, wizards were still searching the grounds for Ginny's murderer. His heart sank as the reality of the night set upon him. Ginny was dead and he might be the only student in the castle to know it. Tomorrow, would he be the only student to believe that her death was committed by the same wizard that murdered Dumbledore? Staring at the fireplace in front of him, he watched the bright sparks fly through the air only to fade and disappear as they moved away from the fire. He could feel the panic rising inside him. Ron and Hermione hadn't returned to their dormitory yet. No matter how angry they were at him, they would have been worried when they realized he wasn't in his bed at this hour. His stomach started forming tight knots. What if Snape found them when he was looking for Ginny? What if his dream was true and Snape came to Hogwarts to kill Ron and Hermione, but Ginny got in the way?

His heart was pounding. He couldn't spend one more minute alone in the common room. Grabbing his father's invisibility cloak from his trunk, he flung it over himself and ran from Gryffindor tower. The halls of the castle were clouded in shadows. Even though he was under his cloak, he still crept through the halls being careful not to draw attention to himself. The teachers that he past looked extremely anxious as they searched the halls in groups. Trying to make himself as small as he could against a cold stone wall, he waited under the invisibility cloak as McGonagall swept down the corridor with Professor Sprout. He knew that Snape would be hiding somewhere in the castle even if the Headmistress didn't want to believe it. Following a staircase into the dungeons, Harry crept quietly while listening hard for any teachers that might be nearby. Even as careful as he was, he just missed colliding into Professor Skeeter as she sped around a corner as he was about to do the same himself. Squeezing behind a large stone statue of a serpent with menacing eyes, he watched as she ran past him, her eyes darting from wall to wall. She slowed and her eyes rested on the serpent. For a moment, he thought that she might have heard him trying to catch his breath, but she didn't stop and he watched her continue down the corridor until she was out of eyesight. He had no doubt that she was wandering alone through the dungeons looking for more gossip to sell to the Daily Prophet.

Harry took off in the opposite direction than Professor Skeeter. He didn't want to cross paths with her again. The hallways in the dungeon seemed to snake in every direction. It seemed like Salazar Slytherin himself had wanted to make sure that his enemies would never be able to find their way out of the castle's dungeon.

_CRASH!_

A sound like metal falling and scraping against the stone floor made Harry crouch as low as he could. As the sound bounced through the long hallways, Harry instinctively pointed his wand at the nearest door, whispering, "_Alohomora_". As he heard the heavy lock slip open he slipped inside the room as quickly and quietly as he could. Looking around, the room was completely empty except for two broken chairs and a table leaning against a wall. Cautiously, he peaked around the door to the hallway. Whoever made the noise might still be nearby. Pulling his wand from his pocket and making sure that his cloak hid his whole body, he crept out into the hallway and started slowing retracing his way through the dungeon. A second crash, this time nearer, echoed off the walls. Taking off full speed down the corridor he wasn't going to let Snape get away. He gripped the wall as he sped down the a set of stone steps and around another corner before losing his footing and tripping with a thud onto the stone floor.

"Show yourself!"

It wasn't Snape's menacing voice, but he knew he couldn't make a run for it. The witch or wizard he crashed into would surely hear him. All he could do was squeeze shut his eyes and try to focus on quieting his breathing. Hopefully the witch or wizard wouldn't believe what they felt and would begin patrolling the corridor again.

"Harry! Show yourself NOW!"

He knew that voice. It belonged to Hagrid, who had a look of fury in his eyes. Lupin was also glaring at the empty space in front of them. Slughorn had a very different expression. His shocked eyes were darting around the corridor looking for what had just crashed into them. Knowing he had no choice but to face his professors, Harry removed his cloak.

"What do you think you are doing here?" Lupin shouted, "Do you realize the danger that could be walking through these corridors?"

" I need to find Ron and Hermione. If Snape is somewhere in the castle then I need to find them first."

"We are worried about your friends too. I don't want to believe that Severus would be able to set foot in Hogwarts undetected, but if we do find him I don't want you to be there. Let us deal with him, Harry," said Lupin

As if the name Severus Snape had triggered something, the tapestry lining the wall next to Harry moved just the slightest. Harry and his Professors spun around, their wands pointed at the tapestry. Professor Slughorn also had his wand out, but he had backed up several feet looking as if he had seen yet another ghost. His wand shaking in his hand, Harry anxiously waited for the witch or wizard to show themself. Lupin approached the tapestry cautiously. The black curtains moved once more.

"Whose there? Slughorn said with a noticeable shake in his voice.

Harry stood beside his professors with his wand pointed at the tapestry. Slowly an eye poked out from the tapestry. The eye became wide with what he could only guess was shock or fear. Staring at the wands pointed at her chest, she walked out from behind the tapestry. Looking sick with embarrassment, Hermione stood in front of her professors. Harry's jaw dropped. Equally embarrassed, Ron reluctantly emerged from the tapestry and stood next to her. Harry didn't know what to say.

"So, Gyffindor's biggest secret has just come to light?" Professor Skeeter had stopped to stand beside Slughorn and was looking at Harry's friends with amusement.

"I hurried here as soon as I heard the loud voices." With a smirk on her face her eyes rested on Hermione who was looking from teacher to teacher with a worried expression on her face. "Would you like to tell us what is going on here or shall I, darling?"

Hermione's eyes didn't leave the floor.

"I think we have a good idea of what is going on," said Lupin. Harry was relieved that Lupin chose to speak for Hermione. She looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment.

"Come, this is no time to be out of Gryffindor tower," Lupin said. Looking at Ron he added, "Your parents are looking for you. Hagrid will escort you while Harry and Hermione return to the dormitories with me.

"If you don't mind professor," Professor Skeeter interrupted, "I would like to escort Miss Granger back to her room myself. We have something very important we must discuss."

"It is late, but I don't see why not."


	20. Montrose

-- CHAPTER TWENTY --

_Montrose_

Harry couldn't sleep that night. He tossed and turned in his bed as he waited for Ron to return. It was almost daybreak and he still hadn't. Harry really couldn't blame him though. By now Ron had been told that his sister had been killed by Death Eaters and had probably seen their dark mark over the Quidditch pitch. He could only imagine what the Weasley's were going through. He felt like a piece of him had been ripped out. It must have been a hundred times worse for Ron. It was probably best that he stayed with his family for the night.

A cold breeze drifted through the dormitory and Harry pulled the bed sheets a little closer to his face. He had been at school for two months and he was no closer to finding the Horcruxes than before he had arrived. He had followed Lupin's advice and went back to Hogwarts. He had let the day-to-day routine fill his mind with things other than what was truly important. He had allowed himself become preoccupied with everything but finding Voldemort. The sooner he could destroy the Horcruxes the sooner his life could go back to normal. Now that Ginny was gone, he doubted that life would ever be normal again. He had missed his chance with her. The words that she had said when she had pulled him into the bathroom over the summer kept ringing in his ears.

"_If we don't enjoy the time that we have together, who knows if we will have it in the future."_

He had wasted their time together. He realized that now. He wouldn't do the same thing twice. He had to start taking control of his destiny before everything that he loved started slipping away. Coming back to Hogwarts had been a mistake. He realized that now.

Getting out of bed, Harry quietly changed out of his pyjamas and into his clothes. Grabbing his invisibility cloak, he crept out of the room and made his way down Gryffindor tower alone. If he could sneak away from the school grounds without the Ministry's aurors noticing, he knew that he could be on a train by daybreak. Once away from the school he would start searching for the Hufflepuff Horcrux. He still didn't know how to destroy it, but Hermione was searching through every book she could get her hands on and he was sure that she would soon find out how. All that concerned him now was getting to Montrose.

The train ride to the small coastal town in Scotland didn't take too long and as he walked through the quaint little town with its cobble streets, he didn't notice any sign of magic at all. As he walked on, it wasn't too difficult to find the Bones Estate. It was the largest manor in the little town and from what Hermione had told him it overlooked the North Sea. Hermione was certain that he would find the Hufflepuff Horcrux somewhere on the estate. Harry remembered how excited Hermione had been when she had told Ron and him that she was almost certain she knew where Voldemort had hidden his Horcrux.

"_Harry, I had been thinking that when you left Hogwarts last year, the first place that you went to was your parents grave. Even though Godric's Hollow Cemetery is only where they were buried rather than where they spent their time when they lived, it held a special significance and you felt closer to them just by being there. Maybe we need to think about the location of the Hufflepuff Horcrux in the same way. I am certain that Amelia Bones' death last summer was done as a way for Voldemort to make another Horcrux. He didn't expect to lose his powers the day he killed your parents and I really don't think he was finished making his Horcruxes. He had taken the Hufflepuff cup and the Slytherin ring but we only know he made a horcrux with the latter. Murdering the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would be a very important step in regaining his former power. She was also from a long line of Hufflepuffs. It fits perfectly. And where better to hide his Horcrux than as part of the memorial for the Bones family at their estate in Montrose. I mean, most of the people lying in that memoriam died at the hand of Voldemort himself. Where would be a better testament to his achievements than there?_

Slipping the invisibility cloak over him, Harry walked along a long path toward the house. The Bones family estate rested on a large piece of land. The path was lined with nicely groomed flowerbeds. There seemed to be no one around so Harry took his time walking through the gardens behind the house as he looked for the family's memoriam. At the edge of a cliff that surrounded the back of their property was a stone building. As Harry moved closer to it, he could read:

_Dulce et Decorum est Pro Patria Mori_

_It is Sweet and Proper to Die for one's Country_

Upon entering the building, Harry knew that this must be the place where Hermione believed the Horcrux to be hidden. It looked much smaller on the inside than he would have imagined. Along each wall were engraved memorials honouring many from the Bones' family that had passed. Each had a description of the noble acts that they had done in life and at the time of their death. Harry didn't need to look to hard to find Amelia Bones memorial. The corner of the building that honoured her life was still filled with flowers and presents that had been left by her family and friends.

Harry started tearing through the items left for her. The Hufflepuff cup must be here somewhere. The flowers were still fresh. Either someone was returning to bring new flowers for Amelia or the ones that were left had been cast with an ever-flowering charm. As Susan Bones was the sole survivor in her family and she was currently attending Hogwarts with him, Harry decided to believe the latter.

With a smile, Harry sat in the middle of the flowers and other items he had torn through holding the Hufflepuff cup in his hand. It had been hidden behind most of the gifts left for Amelia and was barely visible to the eye. Someone had taken great care to place it in the memorial but keep it well hidden from those that visited. An artifact as old as Hufflepuff cup would have drawn attention to itself very easily. Just as Harry was about to get up and put his invisibility cloak back over himself, he heard a 'pop' and the cup flew from his hands. It flew across the room and was caught by Severus Snape who was looking at Harry with a smirk on his face.

"Hmmm, Potter. It seems that you have little respect for the dead. I hope when the Weasley's lay poor Ginny's body to rest that you won't go ripping apart their memories like you have done here." Snape glanced around at the mess that Harry had made while looking for the cup.

"So you did it. You killed her. I knew it had to be you"

"Congratulations Potter. Ten points for Gryffindor." Snape gave a snide laugh. His eyes and his wand never left Harry.

"Expelliarmusཀ" Harry pointed his wand at his old Professor.

"I must say Potter, that you show absolutely no aptitude in closing your mind. You make it much too easy."

"Stupefyཀ" Harry tried again but Snape block it with a flick of his wrist. He gave Harry a look of pity.

"That was pathetic, Potter. Do you think I enjoy this? I have been following you around these past few months and from what I have witnessed, you show absolutely no skill in magic once so ever. I knew that you would turn up at your Aunt and Uncle's blasted home at some point. It was just a matter of waiting. You are far too predictable Potter."

"Cruci-" Harry couldn't even get the word out before Snape blocked it.

"Stick with what you know, Potter." Like me, I understand the Dark Arts, so I sent Dementors that day you visited your family. And my apprentice Pettigrew here, he knows much about the fascinating rodent world so he transfigured himself into a rat and hid under your bed after he managed to summon your wand from you. He may be deficient in most areas but like I suggest of you, Pettigrew sticks to what he knows – vermin and hiding."

Snape pointed his wand at a rat scurrying away from them. With a flick of the wrist, the rat grew and transformed itself into a short and balding man with a rat-like face.

"Stupefyཀ" Harry was shocked. Snape went flying across the room hitting the wall hard. The Hufflepuff cup flew out of his hands in the opposite direction and bounced off another wall. Harry couldn't even hear its clang from the noise of everything that came crashing around Snape. Harry hadn't even summoned a spell. With his wand pointed at Snape's chest, he saw Lupin standing over Snape with his wand pointed in the same manner. How did he get here?

"Harry, you guard Pettigrew. I'm going to see if Severus is ready to meet with the Ministry yet."

Peter Pettigrew cowered as Harry pointed his wand at him.

"Let me do it." McGonagall walked up behind Harry and pointed her wand at Pettigrew. Harry was beside himself. Somehow, two of his teacher's had followed him from Hogwarts without him even knowing.

"Escort Harry from here. We can do this another day," McGonagall told Lupin.

Lupin didn't take his eyes off Snape. He didn't even blink. Harry wasn't sure how long it would take before Snape was conscious again. He hoped that the ministry wasn't far behind.

"We are going now Lupinཀ" McGonagall raised her voice. Just before could grab Harry's arm and disapparate with him back to Hogsmeade, Harry managed to point his wand at the mess around Snape – "Accio cup"


	21. The Room of Requirement

-- CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE --

_The Room of Requirement_

Harry did not dare to speak to either Headmister McGonagall or Professor Lupin as they walked through the castle. Neither of his teachers had spoken a word since they had apparated into Hogsmeade and after sneaking a glance at Lupin, Harry was resolute in keeping the silence between them. Lupin's fists were clenched tightly and his cold black eyes bore into the back of McGonagall's head. Harry could tell that Lupin was angry that McGonagall had ordered them to return to Hogsmeade without Snape or Pettigrew. Stopping in front of a stone wall, the Headmistress spoke in a low whisper. A door appeared where the stone had been and opened to reveal a lavish room decorated in brilliant gold and red. Harry knew that McGonagall had led them to the Room of Requirement. On the room's walls hung large portraits of old wizards whose frames shimmered and glistened from the bright golden light that filtered into the room. A long wooden table had been set up and was surrounded by wizards who went silent at the sight of them. Harry recognized most of the wizards as either as his professors or Ministry aurors that had been stationed at Hogwarts for the year. The Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, sat at the head of the table and as they walked into the room, he stood up from his chair and greeted them with an enthusiastic smile. With a flick of Scrimgeour's wand, a chair appeared beside him and with an overly dramatic gesture he offered to share his space at the head of the table with the Headmistress.

"The reason I called this meeting is two fold," began Scrimgeour. "I would like to use this opportunity to hear accounts by those that were at the school during the attacks last night so that the Ministry can act quickly to apprehend the individuals responsible for Ginny Weasley's murder and the Dark Mark that was cast shortly after her death. I would also like to discuss what information if any should be released to the public so that we can maintain a state of calm not only among the students and their families, but also among the pubic in general. There is no need to alarm wizards and witches if such an attack is unlikely of happening at this institution or others like it in the future. I have already decided that it will be against the Ministry's interest to inform the Daily Prophet about these matters for the time being. Out of respect for Arthur and Molly, I would like to keep the death of their youngest child away from the media spotlight. For the Daily Prophet to publish such a story at this time would cause unnecessary panic."

Harry could not believe that the Minister of Magic could talk about such matters with such a dignified detachment. Next to him, Hermione cursed under her breath. He didn't feel like Scrimgeour was concerned about the Weasley's grief so much as he was concerned about his desire to keep his name untarnished. Sneaking a glance at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley (both of whom were sitting silently looking more pale than he had ever seen them), it looked as if neither of them had gotten any sleep the previous night. Ron also seemed to be taking no notice of the Minister. He was staring at the grooves and lines in the wooden tabletop. Harry didn't think that any of them had heard what Scrimgeour had proposed to do. 

"Minerva and I spoke early this morning and I will say for the record that the Ministry places no blame on her for this incident. Without Minerva's quick judgement, the alleged Death Eater or Death Eaters on the grounds last night may have roamed free and unnoticed for much longer."

This time Moody snorted loudly, "The _alleged_ Death Eaters, as you say, roamed free and unnoticed for as long as they needed to! By the time that we began searching the grounds, anyone involved in Miss Weasley's death were long gone. If your aurors were as competent as you claim, there would be no need for this meeting." 

Harry knew how Moody felt. He didn't want to sit around and help the Ministry devise strategies to cover up how badly Scrimgeour had failed to keep Hogwarts safe. He wanted more than anything to go back in time and find Ginny before Snape had the chance to. Even with the Hufflepuff cup hidden in his cloak, it still didn't make Ginny's murder feel any more justified. He had been standing within feet of Ginny's murderer and yet he hadn't been able to do anything about it. 

McGonagall shifted in her chair and looked around the table at her audience before recounting where she and Lupin had followed Harry to the previous night. Around the table, he watched the reactions of the wizards as they listened to McGonagall explain that she and Lupin had arrived at the Bones' estate just in time to find him cornered by Snape. As she spoke he heard Mrs. Wealsey let out a quick gasp while the other wizards in astonishment at either Harry or at McGonagall. He was sure that they were wondering how _the boy that lived _would overcome Voldemort when he couldn't remember a simple stunning spell when he was face to face with Dumbledore's murderer. 

"Get to the point Minerva," said Moody with his usual lack of tack. "What do you know about the Death Eaters that were on the school grounds last night. Do we know the name of Ginny's murderer. We must make a swift response to this attack. Voldemort and his followers will be expecting some sort of retribution either by the Ministry or the Order for the murder they committed at Hogwarts. The sooner we act the less time they will have to prepare." 

"Moody, I am sure the Minister will agree with me, that in our next move we must consider patience over blind revenge. As to your question, we still don't know who killed Miss Weasley last night, but I do believe we now know the reason behind the attack. Like I said, Lupin and I followed Harry to Wales last night where Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew were waiting on the Voldemort's orders. I believe that Ginny Weasley's death was done in an attempt to get Harry to leave the confines of the school. Fortunately, one of our aurors discovered Harry's disappearance from the school grounds and Lupin and I were able follow him to the Bones Estate. I fear, if Harry would have managed to leave the school ground unnoticed, we could have been mourning more than one student tonight. Even so, what happened tonight does help to explain what Voldemort has been doing since Dumbledore's death."

"What news have you learned, Minerva?" It was Rufus Scrimgeour, the Minister of Magic who spoke with a voice of urgency.

"Well it is almost certain that Snape had been behind the attack on Harry's guardians last summer. I have no doubt that Snape has been employed by Voldemort to keep an eye on the boy. For this reason, it is even more necessary that Harry stay within school grounds." McGonagall looked over at Harry hoping to get a look of assurance from the boy.

"Well is that all?" Scrimgeour looked slightly angry that this was the only news that McGonagall could tell him.

"Well Minister, I think that Snape's actions show a pattern of convenience. It is pretty easy to see that he orchestrated the dementor attack on the Dursleys as a way to get to Harry. As long as we don't allow for any such opportunities to take place, the school will be safe," Minerva said. Scrimgeour seemed relieved as he nodded in agreement. Harry noticed that Lupin's eyes seemed to flashed with anger again.

"You mean if I don't leave the school grounds everyone will be safe?" It was the first time that Harry spoke since he had walked through the doors of the castle.

"Exactly," the Headmistress replied.

"Well, that won't work.. Prof- I am mean Snape was on the school grounds last night. I don't know how he got past the aurors outside but he did. He was the one that killed Ginny. He told me himself." 

Harry cast his eyes down at the table. Mrs. Weasley started crying softly as he spoke and he didn't really want to see the expressions on Ron or Hermione's faces. Reliving what happened that night was more than he could deal with at the moment.

"But that's impossible!" Scrimgeour slammed his hand against the table as he yelled. "I have the best aurors stationed at all the entrances and patrolling the castle both inside and out. There is no way Snape could have gotten onto the grounds." He looked appalled at the very thought that someone could have outwitted his aurors.

"I agree," McGonagall said. "I believe that Snape made up that story to keep you at the Estate until Voldemort and his Death Eaters arrived. He knew that if he provoked you, you would fight him. He was taunting you. There is no way that he would have been able to get onto the grounds." 

"I think a more important question would be why you willingly allow two fugitives to slip through our fingers!" Lupin demanded. "We had an opportunity to capture both Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew, but you let them go without a fight. Their capture could have given us much more information than we have now. It has been evident that Snape has been working very closely with Lord Voldemort since Dumbledore's murder! We didn't need to follow Harry to find that out." Lupin's rage was showing as he spoke.

"As Headmistress of this school, I am not going to risk the lives of my students to gain information on our enemies. My first priority was getting Harry out of there. It could have been a matter of minutes before we were outnumbered by death eaters. I will do my job and let the Ministry do theirs." 

Harry felt sick watching the Minister of Magic enthusiastically nodding his head in agreement with the Headmistress. If the Ministry was left to bring down the Death Eaters on their own, it would be an infinitely long time before the war with Voldemort ended. 

"Let me remind you that the Order of the Phoenix is not about settling personal vendettas," said McGonagall with the same authority that Scrimgeour often used when speaking to people.

"This has nothing to do with personal vendettas." Lupin pushed his chair from the table and got to his feet, "It's time I escort these students back to their dorms."

"I'm staying with Mum and Dad tonight," Ron blurted out. He looked like he was afraid that Lupin might hit him or something. 

For the first time since the meeting began, Mrs. Weasley looked like she was aware of what was going on around her. "Harry, Hermione - you both are welcome to join us. You have always felt like family." 

"Um, thanks Mrs. Weasley, but I will go back to the dorm rooms tonight." Hermione looked awkwardly at Ron as his Mum started crying in her husband's chest. Harry just quietly muttered that he would go back to the dormitory too and they slipped out of the room with Lupin.

The corridors were isolated. The students would all be sleeping in their dormitories not knowing how vulnerable Hogwarts really was. 

"That was really stupid, Harry. What were you thinking, leaving the school like that?" Hermione whispered as they walked back to the common room, "I overheard Hagrid tell Mrs. Weasley on our way to the meeting that you dreamt about the Death Eaters on the quidditch field. Why didn't you tell us about your dream, Harry. You really should have told Ron and me."

Harry pretended that he didn't hear her. He didn't want to make a scene in front of Professor Lupin. Hermione seemed to understand this too. The rest of the way through the castle was spent in silence, each person thinking about what had happened in the past day. It wasn't until they had arrived in front the Fat Lady's portrait that anyone spoke. 

"I know you have the Horcrux, Harry."


	22. Dumbledore's Secret

-- CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO --

_Dumbledore's Secret_

It didn't matter how hard Hermione tried to convince Harry to trust Professor Lupin, he just couldn't. As he lay on his bed, replaying everything that happened at the Bones' Estate, he tried to understand just how Lupin found out that he had taken a Horcrux back to the school with him. What worried Harry most was that Lupin always seemed to show up in the most unlikely of times. Every time that he had run into bad luck, Lupin had been there just in time to save him. It wasn't that his professor seemed to bring trouble with him, but Harry couldn't stop the nagging feeling like something just wasn't right. How had Lupin found out about the horcrux that was now hidden in the bottom of his trunk? Even though he didn't trust Lupin's help, Hermione was right - they would have to do something to get rid of Voldemort's Horcrux. His dormitory would be the first place that anyone would go to look for it.

After spending the afternoon alone in his dormitory, Harry had come up with the best plan he could think of. He told Hermione that he wasn't coming down to dinner. Even though she eyed him with suspicion, she did give in and agreed to bring him back some food from the Great Hall. As soon as she left the common room he grabbed his invisibility cloak, the marauder's map, and the Hufflepuff cup before slipping out of the dormitory. Even though he was careful to make sure that his feet didn't show under the invisibility cloak and checked the map every few paces, he didn't see anyone. He knew that most of the students and staff would be at the Great Hall eating their dinner. As he headed toward the Headmistress' office, he hoped that McGonagall would be dining with the school that night.

"Slugpops," Harry said as he stood in front of the stone gargoyle.

He was relieved when the stone statue moved aside. The password had not changed since he had been here last. Harry slowly pushed open the door into McGonagall's office and peered inside. Everything looked exactly the way that it did when he had last been there with Hagrid.

"Students are not allowed in this office."

Harry turned around to see at least a dozen portraits of past Hogwarts' Headmasters staring at him.

"Oh, leave him be. Don't you recognize, Potter? I'm sure he is waiting for Minerva. She has been speaking about him a lot lately," said a portrait of a woman with a sugary sweet voice.

"She's been what?" Harry said without thinking.

"Oh, she's been talking about you, dear. She and the other aurors of course."

"And don't forget when she is alone," added another portrait. "She is always muttering your name while she is pacing back and forth through the room. She often makes me dizzy."

"What is it that you want, boy? I really don't think that the Headmistress has started meeting with students during meal times," a portrait of a short and stout old man said.

Harry was reminded about his current dilemma. "Uh, yes. I wish to speak to the portrait of Professor Dumbledore. I think that I may need his help."

The other portraits groaned, but the portrait of Professor Dumbledore smiled at Harry.

"Of course I will do what I can, but I'm slightly disappointed that you didn't wake me up when you were here last. I have been waiting to see you."

"Um, sorry Professor. I need to know what you told Professor Lupin about Voldemort's Horcruxes. How does he know about them?"

Most of the professor's in the other portraits cried out with shock or fear at hearing Voldemort's name spoken out loud. Professor Dumbledore didn't flinch when he heard Harry's request.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I wish that I could give you a simple answer, but I am only a portrait of the man you wish to talk to. These paint strokes do not hold the memories, only the wisdom of your Headmaster."

Disappointed and feeling slightly foolish Harry turned to leave the office. As he touched the knob of the door, he turned around and faced the portraits again. "Do you think that I should trust Lupin?"

The portrait smiled, "Hmm, well I haven't seen him in this office since the term began, which I have to say is slightly curious. Then again, I believe he was best friends with your father when they were students here, wasn't he? I also trusted Lupin enough while I was alive to offer him a job at the school fully aware that he was also a werewolf. I believe those are two good reasons to think that I found your professor trustworthy, Harry. But for you to ask me such a question, you must already have your own opinion about him. In my infinite wisdom as a portrait, I say this situation calls for some chocolate frogs and a Pro and Con chart.


	23. Confessions

– Chapter Twenty Three –

_Confessions _

"I don't think that we should go." Harry said to Hermione as they walked toward Hagrid's cabin. "I mean, how do we know we can trust him?"

"Harry, its Lupin. He was your father's best friend."

"I know, but I just have this feeling. He has pulled me out of every bad situation I have been in this year."

"Well, that should say something about his character," Hermione replied.

"Yes, but what if it is more than a coincidence? How could he be in the right place at the right time every time that I need him. That worries me. And Dumbledore said to never tell anyone about the Horcruxes. I promised him."

"You can't do everything yourself, Harry. Like that dream, I don't know if we could have changed what happened to Ginny, but you should have told Ron and me. We could have helped you carry the burden" said Hermione.

"You don't understand."

"Well then explain it to me. I think we have been doing pretty well together since we first met."

"That dream wasn't about Ginny. I dreamt that you and Ron were lying on that field. Some things just can't be shared."

Hermione fell silent as she thought about what he had just said.

"That night, when you found Ron and I in the dungeons, I knew from the look on your face that something was very wrong. You still looked worried even though you were relieved to see us. I really don't know how I would have reacted if you had told Ron and I about your dream. But you have to trust your friends. You were friends with Lupin and I have a good feeling about him. He was the one that suggested we meet at Hagrid's. Lupin knows how protective Hagrid is of us. Lets just see what he has to say, ok?"

She pushed him from under the cloak trying to encourage him to keep walking.

"Whatever he knows about Horcruxes will help us. I've looked everywhere and I am no closer to finding out how to destroy them. At some point Voldemort will know that you have stolen it. The last place you want to hide it is in the castle," said Hermione.

Harry took off the invisibility cloak and crept to Hagrid's door. Being cautious not to make any sound he carefully pushed the door open a crack and peered inside. Hagrid was standing near the back of the cabin talking to Lupin who was sitting in a chair across from him. Harry also noticed that Lupin's wand was lying on the kitchen table a few feet away. Feeling pretty comfortable with what he saw, Harry pushed the door open and walked inside.

"Ah, Harry and Hermione. Remus was sayin' that you might show up tonight. It's so sad, what happened to Ginny. I can't believe she is really gone." Harry noticed that Hagrid's eyes were red.

"I asked Harry and Hermione to meet me at your cabin because Dumbledore always had a lot of trust in you and I believe that he was absolutely right in that judgement. I have something to admit to these two as well as you, Hagrid. They are right to be unsure of who to trust anymore and so I asked them to meet me here so that you could protect them in the event that their fears were to come true."

"Sure, but umm….don't Harry and Hermione here, already know about your 'furry little problem?' asked Hagrid trying to hide a smirk on his face.

"It's more important than that. Harry take out the cup," Lupin instructed. Harry looked uneasily around the room and reluctantly pulled the cup out of his cloak after Hermione jabbed him in the back with her finger.

As Harry placed the small golden cup onto the table in front of them Hagrid looked at it with confusion. He seemed stumped that they had all chosen to meet at his cabin for something so insignificant.

"I understand what you must be thinking right now, so I am going to do my best to explain what this cup is and how I got to know about its existence," Lupin said to Hagrid. "Last year while classes were being held at Hogwarts, Dumbledore and I spent most of our time trying to locate and destroy Horcruxes that had been hidden in various artifacts. What you see here is one such Horcrux."

"A Horcrux? Like the myth where yah hide your soul in something and live forever? Hagrid still looked stumped at what Lupin was trying to explain.

"It's no tale. Voldemort desires everlasting life and he is using horcruxes to do it," Professor Lupin explained. Hagrid now looked at the cup with a new fascination.

"How come you know so much about this?" Harry asked Lupin.

"Dumbledore recruited me in this task several years before your parents died. Dumbledore had long suspected that Voldemort had created these Horcruxes but needed more proof. My job was to spy on those who might know something about it. He told me about his fears in complete confidence and cautioned me never to reveal what I found out to another soul," Lupin explained.

"But you are telling us about it." Harry said with sarcasm.

"When I followed you to the Hufflepuff estate, I became suspicious that you might also know Dumbledore's secret. Everything seemed to fit into place," Lupin explained.

"Well if you know so much, can you explain who wrote this?" Harry placed the note that Dumbledore and he had found in the locket last spring on the table. Lupin picked it up and examined what was written on it. With a smirk, Lupin handed the note back to Harry.

"That sneaky little devil did do something while he was hiding out in Grimmauld Place!" Examining the look on Harry and Hermione's faces he felt that he should explain further. "The signature, R.A.B., stands for Remus Albus Black. It refers to an alliance made between myself, your Godfather and Dumbledore. Sirius was adamant that we used his family name when we referred to it. He never liked that his line was so closely involved with the dark arts. I am guessing that you found this note in the locket. The Slytherin locket was the first Horcrux that we looked for. And we found it tooཀ Sirius snatched it from a cave so that we could destroy it. He didn't know at the time that it would be heavily guarded and Sirius was almost killed by Voldemort's Death Eaters. He managed to escape but without the locket. It was shortly after this incident that your parents died. Dumbledore and I had always suspected that Sirius had been framed for their murder. After Sirius was found by Death Eaters, Voldemort knew that his Horcrux was no longer a secret. Voldemort believed that Sirius had learned about the Horcrux through his brother, Regulus, who was one of Voldemort's followers back then. In retribution for telling Sirius about the Horcrux and to contain his secret he killed Sirius' brother. He would have killed Sirius too if he hadn't escaped the Death Eaters that day. Setting him up for your parents' murder was the only way Voldemort could ensure that Sirius didn't tell anyone about his secret. I'm sure Voldemort also enjoyed the thought of Sirius having to spend the rest of his days being tortured by dementors in Azkaban. We couldn't tell the Ministry our suspicions. We had no proof and if we had come forward, Voldemort would have known that we also knew his secret"

"I can't believe that Sirius knew about the Horcruxes. I just can't believe it. I had no idea. All this time and I had no idea," said Hermione.

"So the Horcrux in the locket is destroyed?" asked Harry.

"Unless Sirius told someone, we can never be sure," said Lupin.

"Harry! Do you remember? We were cleaning out one of the rooms in Sirius' house a couple of years ago and we found a locket. It was stuffed into a desk drawer with a bunch of junk. Oh no. I think we threw it out!"

"Well if you found it in a desk with a bunch of junk then Sirius definitely destroyed the Horcrux within it. I know about Sirius and he wouldn't have put down that locket until the it had been destroyed" said Lupin.

Staring at the cup in front of them, Hermione asked, "So how do we destroy this Horcrux?"

"With a cup like this, I am almost certain that it was forged using ancient magic and in order to destroy it we will need to use of the same sort. I am sure that Voldemort put curses on it as well that we will need to find counter curses for. I would like to take the cup to my office. It will be awhile before I can take all the enchantments off of it and destroy it."

Harry looked at Hermione, not knowing what to do. The magic that sealed the Horcrux within the cup was more advanced than he or Hermione would be able to undo.

"Please trust in Dumbledore's decision to let me help him find and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes," Lupin said as Harry sat staring at the cup.

Lupin had explained a lot about Voldemort's Horcruxes that Dumbledore didn't have time to do himself. If he was to trust what he had told him about Sirius and the note he had found, he also had to trust Lupin. He pushed the cup toward his professor.


	24. Rumours

-- CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR --

_Rumours_

When Harry awoke, the dormitory was empty. He and Hermione had spent most of the night at Hagrid's and hadn't returned to the castle until nearly dawn. Yawning and stretching, he let his body move himself down the circular staircase to the common room just as he did most mornings. It too was nearly empty. His eyes rested on the couch that he often shared with Ron and Hermione. Disappointed, he saw that it was being used by two first year students who were playing a game of exploding snap and laughing loudly. Scanning the rest of the room, it seemed that Hermione was either still sleeping or she had already left Gryffindor Tower without him. Seamus hollered from a corner of the room where he and Neville were playing a game of wizard's chess.

"Have you two seen Ron or Hermione?" asked Harry.

"They're probably snoggin!" Seamus said with a smirk on his face.

"Well is it true?" Neville asked. "People have been talking about it all morning. It seems that both Ron and Hermione have been missing from their beds the last few nights. I heard that our Professors are patrolling the school at night trying to catch them in the act. They need proof, you know. They won't believe that Hermione would wilfully skip curfew unless they've seen it with their own eyes. They even checked the quidditch pitch. We saw the lights on the night before last. I thought you were out looking for them too."

"Well..mmm.." Harry began, but Seamus cut him off.

"I heard that the teachers already found them. They were in the dungeons together and they were, well, I'm sure you can imagine what they were doing. McGonagall gave them both a 72 hour detention. They have been spending day and night working in the kitchens." Seamus said while bouncing in his seat.

Harry couldn't take anymore. Their stories were getting more and more wild. He didn't even know if he was allowed to correct them. It didn't look as if anyone knew that Ginny had died. He definitely didn't want to be the one to tell Seamus and Neville the truth. Mumbling a quick goodbye, he left them to their game of wizard's chess.He left the castle as quickly as he could, preferring to find a place on the grounds to be alone. Every group of students he passed stopped him to ask whether he knew if the Ron and Hermione pairing was true. A few even asked whether he planned to steal Hermione away from Ron. The sooner that he could get away from his classmates the better. The last thing he wanted to share with the rest of the school was why he and his professors had been looking for Ron and Hermione in the first place. He had enough trouble trying to deal with his own feelings. He suspected that he and his friends might be the only students to know what really happened to Ginny.

"Harry, why so glum?" Goyle yelled from his group of smirking Slytherins, "Can't find your friends? I do hate it when that happens. How's your girlfriend, Ginny? I haven't seen her ugly red hair around here lately." Goyle and his friends roared with laughter.

Harry ran at them with a fury in his eye that made Goyle step back. Harry wasn't going to back off until he drew blood. He lunged at Goyle with every ounce of strength he could muster. His fists were flying madly as he connected with the side of Goyle's large head.

"Harry, stop it. What are doing?" He felt someone pulling him away from the fight. With a feeling of dread, Harry looked around to see which of his Professors had broken up the fight and was now going to give him detention. To his shock, it wasn't one of his professors at all, but Crabbe who was dragging him off of Goyle.

"You!" Harry screamed as flung his arms at Crabbe trying to loosen the grip that the boy had on him. "Don't think for a minute that I don't know what you are up to. I see you following me, sneaking around in the library. I know that Snape's made you his eyes and ears in Hogwarts now."

This time Crabbe hit Harry with a force that sent him to the ground.

"Don't you dare," Crabbe threatened as Harry laid on the ground, his face throbbing and his nose dripping with blood.

Harry knew better than to stand up again. Crabbe was clearly going to win this fight. He was taller, bigger and stronger than Harry. Wiping his bleeding nose on his robe, he watched Crabbe turn and walk back toward the castle with the group of Slytherins following behind, their laughter still ringing in his ears.

Brushing the dirt off of his robes, Harry wandered around the grounds aimlessly, not knowing where to go but sure that he didn't want to return to the castle. He walked by the forest, and around the lake without noticing the students sitting around talking with their friends or studying under the trees. The leaves were already beginning to fall and Harry kicked them with as much fury as his aching body could manage. Climbing to the top of a large hill he looked out over the grounds. At the bottom of the hill, surrounded by trees was the small cottage that Molly and Arthur Weasley had lived in since the school year begun. Behind it, the trees had turned every shade of fire that Harry could imagine. He stared at it, thinking how much the scene looked like a painting. He didn't know whether to walk to the little cabin or turn around and return to the castle. There was nothing that he could say that would make Ginny's death seem even a little more bearable for the Weasleys.

Standing at the door to their cottage, he hesitated. He could still leave without anyone knowing that he had been there. Maybe he would return in a couple days or wait until he saw Ron at school again. Just as he convinced himself to return to the castle, the cottage door opened and he stood face to face with Arthur Weasley. His face was puffy and he looked as if he hadn't changed his clothes in a couple of days. Harry tried to open his mouth but he couldn't find any words. The two men stood before each other, unable to look away. Harry noticed that Arthur's eyes were beginning to fill with tears. He wished that he could just say something appropriate for the situation so that he could run back to castle again. He knew coming to the cottage had been a mistake. At that moment, Arthur stepped forward and gave Harry the tightest hug that he had ever felt. Harry tried to say something, anything, but it came out more as a mumble than actual words.

"It's okay Harry, you can always come here. You are like family to us," said Arthur, still holding Harry in his arms.

"You know I loved her right?" Harry asked into Arthur's chest.

"Yes I do. We saw it every time you looked at her. Ginny knew it too."

Harry allowed Arthur to lead him inside the cottage. Hermione was already there, reading a book on the couch with Ron's head in her lap. When she saw Harry she maneuvered Ron so not to wake him up and gave Harry a long hug.

"He's finally fallen asleep," Hermione said quietly as she led Harry to another room. "I've been so worried. I couldn't sleep so as soon as the sun was up I came here to see if Ron and his family needed anything."

"I wasn't sure whether I should come or not. I didn't know if they wanted to see me." Harry said.

"I felt the same way too. I guess I just needed to make sure that Ron was alright," said Hermione.

"So, I guess you know about us then?" Ron asked as he walked into the room still groggy from sleeping. "I really wanted to tell you, mate. We just wanted to see if it would work first. And then, well, I guess we just kinda put it off."

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" Harry asked.

"Since sometime this summer. I guess everyone knows now?" Harry could see Hermione's face turn a deep shade of pink. She was clearly reliving the moment when he and his professors had found them together in the dungeons.

"Not everyone," Harry lied. Hermione looked at him with scepticism and he knew that there was no point trying to lie to her. Hesitating for a second, he took a deep breath and said, "Ok, well most people know actually."

Harry couldn't look at her. He was afraid that she was becoming as red in the face as he had seen her in the dungeons. Ron, clearly wishing to avoid the same embarrassment ducked back into the kitchen with the excuse of having to help his mother with lunch.

"Rita Skeeter has been dropping hints in class since the school year began. I'm surprised that you never noticed. Ron has been dreading that class all year. I still don't know how she found out." said Hermione.

"How is Ron doing?" Harry felt like he should change the subject.

"He hasn't cried yet, Harry. Everyone has broken down already, but he hasn't. He's withdrawn and doesn't talk much. I don't think he's accepted that Ginny is actually gone." Hermione couldn't be strong any longer. She burst into tears and Harry hugged her as tightly as he could without hurting her.


	25. Dinner in the Great Hall

-- CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE --

_Dinner in the Great Hall_

It was hard to ignore the looks, whispers, and giggles that erupted as Harry and Hermione entered the Great Hall. The sick feeling in the pit of Harry's stomach told him that they might have made a mistake coming to dinner with the rest of the school that night. By now everyone had heard the rumours that Ron and Hermione had been found in the dungeons together. He was too tired and too miserable to answer any more questions about it. Almost everyone was staring at them. The Slytherin table had even begun whistling at Hermione. Harry could see her face turn red and was secretly glad that Ron hadn't come to dinner with them. It was a good thing that he didn't have to endure the stares and questions that his classmates were going to have about his absence.

The noise in the hall vanished and Harry's classmates quickly found their seats around the large wooden tables that they ate their meals at. Startled by the sudden change, Harry looked around the room and noticed Headmistress McGonagall standing at the head table silently commanding order among her students.

"I have an important announcement to share before we begin tonight's meal, said the Headmistress. "A serious matter has befallen our school this past week. You might have noticed that your professors have been patrolling the castle more vigilantly, which I understand, has led to some wild rumours circulating throughout the school."

Some of the students giggled and Harry saw Seamus kick Hermione under table. Seamus' smile quickly faded as Hermione glared at him.

"Silence!" McGonagall voice echoed through the chaos in the hall.

The noise in the room was quickly replaced with the student's silent shock. Harry couldn't remember hearing McGonagall loose her temper before.

"My decision to increase the security at Hogwarts is due to an intruder that breached the school's grounds the night of the last Quidditch game. Though the intruder was unable to get within the castle walls, one of our students crossed paths with this person on the grounds. Ginny Weasley, who many may know as a sixth year student, was this unfortunate person and it cost her life."

The hall was silent. Harry looked over at Hermione. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. If they knew that McGonagall was going to use that evening's dinner to reveal Ginny's death to the school neither of them would have come.

"I'm sorry, but I can't stay here," Hermione whispered.

McGonagall paused to watch Hermione run from the hall. "Your professors and I have been speaking with the Ministry at length and since Ginny's death was a random act, the school will remain open for the remainder of term. Under the circumstances, I have put strict curfews into place for your safety. I must stress this B no student will be out of their common room after dark without written permission from myself."

Harry looked at McGonagall in disbelief. He didn't need to hear anymore. He got up from his seat to find Hermione.

*****

Hermione, curled up on a chair in front of the fireplace, was quietly sobbing as Harry walked into the common room. Without saying a word, he pulled the nearest plush chair toward her and stared at the fire.

It didn't take long for Hermione to break the silence. "I can't believe that McGonagall told everyone without even considering how we might feel. I thought that she would have at least mentioned that we have dinner with the Weasley's if she was going to tell everyone about Ginny's death. Could you imagine if Ron had decided to come to the castle with us tonight?" Hermione's eyes were red as she dabbed them with a tissue.

"It only got worse once you left. McGonagall has the students believing that they don't know who killed Ginny. She actually told them that her death was a random act."

"I can't blame her, I guess. Think of what would happen if she told everyone that one of their professors had come back to Hogwarts and started murdering his students. Parents would be pulling their children from classes before the owl post arrives in the morning, said Hermione."

Students had started returning to the common room after dinner. As the curfew was already in effect, the common room was more crowded than usual. Trying to avoid the questions that would no doubtly come, Harry and Hermione quickly said goodnight and left for their dormitories. Changing into his pyjamas, Harry noticed a small envelope that had been placed on his bed. Opening it, he examined the loopy handwriting on the parchment inside.

_I give Harry Potter permission to leave_

_the dormitories after dinner tomorrow, the _

_first day of November__,_

_in order to visit me in my office._

_Headmistress M. McGonagall_


	26. Extra Credit

-- CHAPTER TWENTY SIX --

_Extra Credit_

Harry left the Great Hall after dinner and slowly walked to the Headmistress' office for their scheduled appointment. Dinner had been depressing because neither Ron nor Hermione had wanted to go with him. Ron still hadn't left his family's cottage and Hermione was upset by the way that the students had treated her the night before. She was still uncomfortable with the attention that Ron and her new relationship had received. Harry was glad to notice that most of the students were no longer gossiping about them, but unfortunately most of the laughter and comments were now replaced with sullen looks from the mourning students. The Great Hall had taken on an eerie silence with no one knowing what to do in light of what had happened.

Harry walked toward McGonagall's office, still unsure of why she wanted to see him. He had already told her everything that he knew about his dream and the trip to Wales that took place afterward. Still, the walk to McGonagall's office was much too short and he found himself standing before the large stone gargoyle guarding her office much sooner than he had wanted. Realizing that he didn't have the password to pass the Gargoyle, he tried the last one that he remembered. If it didn't work, and he hoped that it wouldn't, he could go back to his dorm guilt-free. Quietly repeating the password that he had heard Hagrid use a few nights before, Harry waited for the Gargoyle to move. Just as he had thought, the Gargoyle didn't budge. If he didn't show up for the meeting he would probably get in trouble or maybe even detention. Harry cursed at the thought. He paced in front of the Gargoyle deciding what he should do. Surprised, the Gargoyle suddenly began to move out of the way.

Harry approached the spiral staircase slowly, all the while keeping his eyes on the Gargoyle statue. He watched for any sign that it would move again. He imagined the statue lunging toward him ready to knock him out of the way should he get too close to the stairs. What were the chances that the curse word he had muttered had been the correct password he needed to pass the Gargoyle?

As Harry stepped onto the stairs, they began to circle, moving him up the tower. McGonagall was standing at the top of the stairs smiling as she waited for him to reach her.

"I'm glad that you chose to visit me. I had a spell cast over the entranceway to alert me when you arrived. Unfortunately, the Minister feels that it is no longer safe to give out the school passwords. I hope you understand."

Harry nodded and followed McGonagall into her office.

"I can understand just how much of a shock Ginny's death must be for you. The nature of her death has raised serious questions about your safety within the castle's walls. It's also helped me realize that I've been putting the politics of my position at Hogwarts over the needs of my students. If I had taken more time to talk with you and the other students I used to teach, I might have known of the threat held over this school when there was still time to do something about it. With that in mind, I have the unique opportunity to make sure that something like this never happens again."

"I don't mean to be rude, but if we had apprehended Snape and Pettigrew when we had the chance, we could have made sure that they didn't hurt anyone else." Harry held his breath waiting for Professor McGonagall to respond. He hadn't meant to be so upfront about his feelings.

"Snape and Pettigrew are only two of Voldemort's followers. Even without them, he could still summon many other death eaters to attack any witch or wizard he chooses. His success at Hogwarts shows me just how vulnerable we are. With Ginny's death, I finally understand why Dumbledore considered you to be Voldemort's ultimate weapon. As long as you can be protected, you give everyone around you hope of defeating him. By taking one of your friends, he is trying to break you down and I believe that this is only the beginning. Because of this, we need to continue what Dumbledore started. I think its time for you to begin learning the art of Occlumensy again,"

Harry took a deep breath. The last thing that he wanted to do was learn Occlumensy again. He dreaded it more than anything else that he could think of.

"I just don't have what it takes. I really wish I could, but I just don't get it."

"Occlumensy is best learned when it is built on trust. I understand why Albus asked Severus Snape to teach you, but I don't think that he was the best match for you. I have been watching your relationship with Severus Snape since you first arrived at this school and trust is not a characteristic that you two have ever shared. I have serious doubts that Severus Snape ever tried to teach, especially considering what we know about him now. Snape was a master of Occlumensy, which he proved by fooling us all. As the need is much greater now than it was, I would like to teach Occulmensy myself."

"I guess we can try." Harry said without showing much conviction.

"That was the answer I was hoping for. I am going to give you permission to visit my office two nights a week so that we can begin to hone your ability."


	27. Veritaserum

- CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN -

_Veritaserum_

Harry sank into his seat and prepared for the hour ahead. Even though he had shared the same table with Ron and Hermione since their first potions class, everything around him felt different. As Ron's first class since Ginny's death, no one seemed to know how to act around him. His friends now spoke in hushed voices and looked over at their table when they thought that he wouldn't notice.

"Veritaserum is one of the most important potions that you will learn to make this year!" Slughorn boasted as he stood waiting for the class to quiet.

"Not only is brewing this potion required to pass your upcoming N.E., it is also an important potion for anyone thinking about a career with the Ministry of Magic. I must caution you though - the application and distribution of this potion by anyone outside of the Ministry is strictly prohibited. I expect that each of you will have the good judgement and responsibility I expect in a senior level potions class."

"Don't you think that we should be learning something a little more important than a truth serum?" Ron leaned over and whispered to Harry.

"I don't know, maybe." Harry wasn't really listening to Ron.

"In a month's time when your potions are complete they will be graded and destroyed," Slughorn continued. "Even though I would never advocate making this potion for use outside of the Ministry, I still believe that this is a valuable potion for each of you to learn given the current world climate. I also expect each of you to produce an antidote to submit with your serum. I will be wandering the room to observe."

"What a git! If we are supposed to graduate with enough knowledge to survive in the real world, you would think that Slughorn would teach us something that we could actually use."

Harry really didn't know what to say. He was still toying with the idea of becoming an auror after graduating Hogwarts and the idea of making a potion that was strictly regulated by the Ministry was intriguing. Hermione, on the other hand, didn't seem to take Ron's rant as lightly. She was staring at them with an expression that warned to be quiet. Harry had the distinct feeling that their professor was standing right behind them.

"Would you care sharing that last bit with the class? I was finding it most interesting Mr. Weasley," Professor Slughorn said with a chuckle.

Harry looked at the floor, waiting for Ron to come up with a way to get out of the mess he had created.

"Professor, I was calling you a git. This assignment is useless. Why don't you make us just clean the cauldrons while we are at it."

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He sunk further into his seat hoping that he might disappear. Ron seemed to only get louder. Hermione poked him with her elbow, but he only continued with even more spirit.

"We all know what is going on right now. Potions like Veritaserum only make people feel safe. A truth serum won't protect anyone once they come face to face with Lord Voldemort. If anything, we should be learning how to brew a poison so potent that a mere drop on the skin would kill even the strongest wizard. I don't need a truth potion to tell me that Voldemort has returned and that he will murder his enemies one by one until someone does something about it."

"Out of my classroom, Weasley!" Professor Slughorn thundered. "In all of the years I have taught at Hogwarts, I've never heard such disrespect from a student. We may have dark days ahead of us, but I will not teach the dark arts. Your previous potions professor may have enjoyed teaching you such things, but I certainly will not!"

The class watched on as Ron stuffed his books into his bag. "Maybe we should be learning the dark arts. I know that Voldemort and his Death Eaters won't be playing by the rules, so why should we." Ron pulled open the door at the back of the classroom and stormed out."


End file.
